Wicker Man
by Teagie227
Summary: Lita's at the end of her rope, desperate to do whatever it takes to get Kane the Hell out of her life. When Vince offers her an out, will she take it? And what will become of her bargaining chip? STORY IS UNDERCONSTRUCTION.
1. Prologue

"I can't do this anymore, Mr. McMahon." The young woman sitting across his desk rubbed at her temples, eyes boring holes into the polished mahogany. This _should_ be an Eric Bishoff thing. But, Lita had _insisted_ on the big boss. And now, he could see why.

Vince pursed his lips, tapping absentmindedly on the wood. He gave the redhead a good once-over, regarding her as she sat across from him. She'd lost a bit of weight since the wedding, no matter how much concealer she used her eyes seemed outlined in deep purple, her once-full, lustrous hair had dulled and flattened. He truly did feel sorry for her, but a contract was a contract, and that peice of paper was as binding as selling your soul to Satan Himself in this industry. Especially when she was contracted to arguably the most dangerous man on the RAW roster.

 _Man._ That was a gross mislabel of who Lita's husband really was.

"You understand what you're asking me to do, right?" he cocked an eyebrow. "It won't make the big guy very happy."

The woman tilted her head up, but her face was buried in her hands, turning red as the skin of a beet. "Vince, look at me, I-"

"It's in my best interest to keep him happy, Lita." Vince interrupted. "He's been preforming immaculately since the wedding. The Monster wants to impress you. Besides, I was told you two were finally on good terms." He gave the woman a quizzical look.

Lita sighed. "I tried, I really did. A part of me felt sorry for him..." Lita trailed off, making a little tent with her fingers.

" _You_ felt sorry for _Kane_?" Vince stated in disbelief and laughed once, eyebrows raised. Lita looked up, her eyes wet and red but gave no other indication she had been weeping, her face was dead serious.

"We both lost a child that night, Vince."

Her words dropped like dead weight, and it shut up the CEO's laughter. The man sat back in his office chair and sighed. A pregnant pause followed Lita's declaration until she piped up again, "But the man is insane, he's a monster. Please, I wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't important. I'll do anything."

Vince thought, and eventually vocalized his thoughts, "So, his monstrous behavior no longer benefits you? Don't think anyone's forgotten about your little trist with Trish."

Kane enjoyed having things to torment. He took particular joy in tormenting people, though anything with a pulse would do. He wouldn't be happy with Vince for taking away his plaything. But he had to have the wellbeing of his stars in mind, at least a little bit. If this was to happen, there would need to be damage control.

He wasn't so sure he wanted it to happen at all. Dear Lita wasn't in _danger_ per se. And this little soap opera was still raking in ratings. He needed to come up with terms. Impossible terms. Terms that would rake in the viewers no matter what.

"Please." was all Lita could force out.

It was an eternity before he looked up, catching Lita's gaze and stated, "Find a replacment."

Lita gave a bewildered look. "What?"

"Find a replacement." Vince said, a little louder this time. "The Demon has gotten quite used to domestic life, I hear. If you're so desperate for an out, I'm sure you'll have no problem damning some other girl to the torture of marrying Kane for the world to see. Find someone else."

Lita gazed long and hard at the McMahon. He certainly wasn't joking. "I wouldn't do that to another person, Vince, I couldn't-" she stammered.

"I've told you my conditions." The boss interrupted.

Lita looked about the office, at a loss for words. Would she really have the ability to gamble another person's life and happiness away? What if Kane didn't like who she chose? What would he _do_ to her?

She shook her head, thoughts and doubts creeping up and clouding her vision, she could feel her heart beating fast and hard, her limbs shook, the clock above the entry door ticked at a glacial pace. Finally, Lita took a ragged breath and willed herself to push out the words, "Okay."

Vince nodded, knowing what this meant for some poor girl out there. "You have three weeks, I'll set aside a segment for you, if you don't find her, I'll fill it with someone else. Take this-" Vince tossed her a packet of paper, which she knew well was a contract for RAW, "And find Kane a woman."

Lita nodded and scurried out, glad to be away from that God Forsaken office. Cathing her breath, and looking around to make sure the coast was clear, and finding no big red monster in sight, she went off to recruit. She thought hard about where she would find a woman that would go along with this and realized there probably wasn't a woman on the planet that would marry a right stranger, and a stranger like Kane at that. No, Lita had to be a little less honest.

With shaking limb and pounding heart, Lita went to choose a victim.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"I need to find someone else." Lita tilted her chin up, Edge's lips and teeth crashing down on her neck. She was trying desperately to be in the mood, she was trying desperately to forget. Kane could come back at any time and she and Edge got so few chances to be together, not when her husband watched her like a hawk.

Edge hummed in acknowledgement and backed his girlfriend up to the hotel bed, her knees hitting the edge and lowering her back onto the cushioned surface. He continued to romance his woman, stopping to suck lightly on her exposed collar bone.

Lita wanted to enjoy it but was overcome with a fear that he may leave a mark for Kane to see, and placed her palms on either side of his face, redirecting his attention.

"Watch it, mister." she teased, but it came out soft and mirthless.

Their lips connected again, Edge's hand wandering up her side and stopping right at her waist. He stopped, and rose from his position atop her to sit back on his knees, tilting his handsome blonde head.

"You aren't into this right now, are you?" he breathed.

Lita fixed him with a sympathetic look. "No, sorry."

Edge rolled is eyes, exasperated. "Don't apologize. You may have to do it what that demon bastard around but you don't have to do it with me." He flopped on the bed next to her, staring up at the ceiling with Lita.

"I have a lot on my mind right now, babe." Lita turned to her side to face the taller man, whose head turned just slightly to look at her.

"I know." was all he said.

They stayed that way for a while, with Lita gazing up at her man, and him gazing at the ceiling, hand reaching to stroke her hair soothingly.

"So," it was he who broke the silence. "What are you going to do?"

Lita thought for a few moments. "What Mr. McMahon told me to I guess."

"Who are you going to choose, then?" He queried.

Lita shook her head furiously, for the umpteenth time, she didn't know what to do. So often under Kane's thumb she felt helpless, and here she was with a way out and she _still_ felt hopeless, and alone. Edge could never understand. "I don't know."

"Trish?" Edge suggested. But no, just offering up her worst enemy wasn't going to fix this mess.

"No."

Edge furrowed his brow at the ceiling. "You _hate_ Trish."

"He'll kill her. She sucks but..." Lita propped herself up on her elbows. "I don't want her to die."

"You sicced him on her before." Edge shrugged.

"To scare her, Edge!" Lita snapped, flopping back onto the bed. "But whoever I choose... they could get hurt... I don't know what to do, Edge. I feel trapped, like, I can't get out of this situation without doing something unspeakable to someone else and I have nowhere to turn-" Lita could have gone on but Edge flipped around and placed a large, warm palm on her cheek, interrupting her woe.

"I get it. But, desperate times baby, desperate times. And I understand why we have to sneak around now, but I don't wanna be your back door man forever." He bent down to kiss her quivering lips. "I'll help you, okay? I'll help you."

Lita drew in breath and relaxed her muscles. Looking over to the radio clock on the bedside table, she turned back to Edge. "You should get out of here, before he comes back."

Edge nodded and kissed her once more. "Make sure the coast is clear for me?"

Lita smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. "Always."

 **O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~** **Thank you all for reading. As I announced earlier in the month, I wrote this story back around February. I originally wrote it having NOT watched the entire Kane/Lita/Edge storyline. But, I think I can do a better job on it now.** **That being said, the story of Wicker Man is currently under construction and is being rewritten entirely. I still have the old files, which I may re-upload at a later date to mark progress but for now I'm taking the original Wicker Man chapters down.** **If you're an OG, you'll notice a bit has changed, but the general impression is still there and I do hope you guys still enjoy the fic.** **Thanks again for reading,** **Wren.**


	2. Deceit

Freyja finished detangling the absolute mess that graced her head before throwing her brush and the last of her things into the bag that sat beside her on the faux-granite countertop. Giving herself a final once-over, she zipped up her bag and made to throw it over her shoulder. Stopping in her tracks, her eye caught her reflection in the mirror once more.

Tediously removing it from her back again and giving the duffle bag a soft pat, she leaned in once more to fix a wayward eyelash and wipe away the soft smudge of makeup she had seen in the corner of her eye. Deciding finally that she was presentable, she hoisted the duffel once more and made her way to the dressing room door.

Her fingers barely touched the handle before the wooden door flew wide open and she nearly collided with a slightly taller redhead. Freyja flinched, ready to catch herself, or the woman. However, the moment was fleeting as the two women focused in on the other and backed up, both breathing out a quick and awkward sigh.

"Sorry," Freyja laughed softly, rubbing at the back of her neck.

"No problem," Lita placated flatly, recognizing the new girl, some no-name they brought in from Spain.

"Come on in." Freyja invited, taking a step back and clearing the way for Lita.

"Thanks," the older woman said as she skirted by, leaving Freyja in the doorway to slink past that tall, scary, bald man that seemed to hang over Lita like a cloud of smoke.

Kane. That was his name.

Her legs seemed to move like lead under the even stare of his watchful eyes. They made eye contact, but it was quickly broken as Freyja moved around him deftly, muttering, "Hey," in quick greeting before shutting the door to the womens dressing room and running off to find her manager, Andone.

Once inside, Lita checked the whole place thoroughly. Empty, Freyja must have been the last. Returning to the now-closed door, she quietly eased it locked, taking care to ensure that the _click_ of the handle didn't make too much noise.

Lord knew, the devil was still outside listening.

Once locked, after a few beats of silence to assure her that Kane hadn't noticed anything amiss, she made a beeline for the bathroom. Third stall from the left, just like always. She rapped a few times on the metal door, to the agreed-upon rhythm of _Here Comes The Bride_. It was a rather cruel joke, this code; Edge thought he was hilarious.

The lock on the stall door came loose with a _snap_ and opened wide to a tall, blonde Canadian waiting for her right where she'd told him to. He smiled wide.

"My love!" he exclaimed a little too loudly as he embraced her, leaning down to kiss her deeply. "I missed you," he muttered with his wandering hands, lips against hers, "Been watching you all night."

Lita smiled a small smile. "Missed you too, babe. Any progress on finding my _husband_ a new victim?" She asked playfully, trying to disguise the tension she still felt.

"Got one idea but... it may be a long shot. I'm gonna keep looking."

"It still doesn't feel right-" Lita began, only to have her forehead kissed softly by her boyfriend to interrupt her wandering conscience.

"Look, I know it sucks. But you want to spend the rest of your life with that thing?" his eyebrows cocked up expectantly.

Lita looked up at his blue eyes, then closed hers and shook her head. "No."

Edge smiled softly at her. "Well, if you're in a hurry to get it over with, I was actually thinking about Freyja."

Lita reeled back in shock, "Freyja? Why? Freyja hasn't done shit to me."

"Why not? She's new. She's not from here. She doesn't know how things work around here. She'll be easy to trick, and we'll have our hands free in no time." Edge explained, an almost devious laugh coming to him, trying to get Lita on board. He loved her, but he knew she could never make a decision like this and stick with it no matter how much she wanted to be with him. And she did want to be with him, she'd made that abundantly clear. So, he was determined to make it for her. At least then she couldn't entirely blame herself.

Lita thought for a moment. It _would_ be easy. And she did only have two weeks. If something happened to Freyja, who would care? She'd only been around a few weeks, it wasn't like she had many _friends._

The more the woman thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. And what's better, Freyja was younger, less experienced, and perhaps the trusting naivete of a 26 year old could land her right where Lita wanted her.

Lita nodded her head and placed her hands on Edge's shoulders. "Okay. Freyja."

"Good." Edge smiled encouragingly. "Now, I asked Mr. McMahon to help, but he wouldn't do it, so we need a plan. We can't just ask her to take your place, no one would agree to that. We'll have to resort to some... trickery."

"Any idea what _kind_ of trickery?" Lita tilted her head, all at once curious and unconvinced her man had any idea what he was doing. Edge's voice lowered several decibels, as if anyone would hear,

"I found a notary that's willing to write up an inescapable trap of a contract, for a little cash under the table, but you have to keep that shit under wraps. Whaddya say?" Edge captured her head in his hands, forcing his girlfriend's worried eyes to look up at him.

Lita avoided eye contact for a small eternity before fixing Edge with an even stare. The edges of her mouth crept up.

"I say I should go tell Mr. McMahon to keep that spot on next RAW open for me."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Two. Right straight, left hook. Andone watched his neice and client obey the command and the heavy bag swung like a pendulum. How far they'd come, he thought. Freyja had excelled in Bilbao, and he knew how she missed it. But, barring any problems the young woman had in adjusting, this was her big break, that was for sure. The WWE wanted _her._ This shit was _big._

A woman named Lita had come to him that day, requesting a meeting with his client. Oh, for such a high profile fighter to ask for Freyja, _his_ little Freyja? Perhaps Andone was biased for being her uncle but he was excited, and immensly proud. What could she want? A match? An alliance?

Didn't matter. Any publicity was good publicity, right?

Andone was snapped back to reality when finally he realized Freyja had stopped, the soundtrack over, and hugged the bag in her exhaustion, panting breaths releasing on its black netted surface. Her forehead still touching, she turned to Andone and half smiled.

"You're staring. It's creepy _._ " She taunted.

"Just proud of you, that's all." The older man smiled, his eyes folding on the edges. "You finished? I have something to tell you!"

The brunette smirked. For an old man, her uncle seemed almost giddy as a school boy. "I can be. This seems important to you."

"One of your colleagues got a hold of me, I looked at your schedule and it looks like you'll have time to meet with her. She says it's urgent." Andone explained, watching Freyja run a towel over her face and begin to pack her things.

"Who is it? What does she need? I swear if I'm going to get ambushed-"

"It was that Lita, and she didn't say." Andone interrupted Freyja's paranoid ramblings. "Get cleaned up, and find me in the lobby."

Freyja nodded and headed over to her room. Swiftly picking out a clean change of clothes and allowing herself a quick run in the shower, she headed down to the main lobby.

Andone stood there, as promised, looking just as excited as ever. He was the best manager in the _world,_ he thought _._ He led her through a few hallways to a small conference room. Well, conference room was a generous term. A small table sat in the center with about 6 chairs surrounding it, a pair of desktop computers had been set up on the far wall, as well as a guest-use printer. It seemed more of a tech room than anything else. At one of the chairs around the oaken oval surface was a redheaded woman, positioned abreast from a tall blonde man. Before the two sat a small stack of papers, and she gazed up from it as Andone showed Freyja in and smiled, albeit a bit uncomfortably.

"Lita," Freyja greeted and dipped her head courteously. She stalked like a frightened animal, eyes suspicious of this 'meeting'.

"Freyja, just who I wanted to see..." Lita smoothed, putting on her best veiled smile and eyes flitting to Andone and back to Freyja. "I was hoping we could chat alone, come on over!"

Freyja hesitated, but as if on cue, the man she recognized as Edge stood, moving about the table in an almost predatory manner. He skirted past Freyja and clasped her manager on the shoulder. "Come on chief, let's leave the ladies."

The display was entirely non-threatening, but it also wasn't a request. Freyja turned to her manager, "I'll be fine, don't worry about me." she soothed.

Andone nodded curtly, dwarfed by the Canuck coaxing him out the door, and turned on his heels to follow him out. The door shut with a click and the two women were alone. Neither spoke for the longest time. Lita watched as Freyja eyed her suspiciously, peircing green eyes regarded her as the younger woman sauntered over to the chair Edge had sat at not long ago. She didn't take it, opting to remain standing and continued to size up the more experienced wrestler.

"So Freyja, you're so new, tell me about youself." Lita tried vainly to remove the tension from the situation. "Where ya from?"

"Spain." Freyja said plainly, until prompted by an eyebrow raise from the other woman to elaborate. "A little town called Zaitegi, southern Basque Country. You?"

"Doesn't matter all that much." Lita wasn't too keen on telling Freyja where her family was, not after what she was about to do to her. She motioned toward the chair upon whose back Freyja's hands now rested.

"Please, take a seat." she insisted, shifting her legs to make room as Freyja circled the chair and lowered herself on the seat slowly. After such an odd interaction, Freyja's eyes narrowed. She must be hiding something.

"So," Freyja breathed. "What's all this about?"

"Well," Lita fiddled with the edge of the stack of papers before her, before letting her gaze fall on Freyja again. "I have an opportunity for you."

Freyja raised one dark brow, interest apparent. "Oh?"

Lita smirked in spite of herself and slid the contract over to the younger woman, Her eyes scanning the markings on the page. Freyja picked out a few choice words but not all of them made sense, her English reading skills not quite to par. These words seemed a bit... colliegate, and oddly arranged. Alarm bells were ringing in her head, but she pressed them down as far as they would go and took a deep breath. She looked back up at Lita,

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to land me in trouble?" Freyja queried, head tilted. "What does this contract say?"

Lita rubbed her hands together but held Freyja's gaze. "It says, next week, you're going against me to decide who will get a title shot at the next pay-per-view, and a little something on the side. A suprise, if you will." she smoothed.

Freyja looked down at the contract once more, eyes skimming over the jumbled mess of letters. "So, I get a title shot if I win... and... God knows what else?"

Suspicious. But not unheard of.

Lita nodded affirmingly and painted on a fake enencouraging smile. "Absolutely! I'd tell you all about it, but why would I ruin the suprise?" There was a glimmer in Lita's eyes Freyja couldn't put her finger on. "If that's aggreable to you, I arranged a live contract signing tomorrow night!"

Freyja's brow furrowed, she shook off the nerves. This was probably nothing, she told herself, _don't be a paranoid weirdo_. But, one question still burned a hole in her mind, "Why me?"

Lita gave a breathy, uneasy laugh and shifted in her chair. "You're new! You need a leg up and I'm in a position to give that to you. What's a little friendly competition? Us girls have to look out for each other, you know?" she finished her miniature speech with a wink.

"The competition here is anything but friendly." the younger woman retorted. Why would Lita make up a contract like this? What was her angle? Regardless, Freyja _did_ need the leg up. What was the worst that could happen? "Tomorrow night, live?"

Lita nodded once more, and Freyja smiled softly at her, sliding the contract back to her future opponent.

"I'll be there."


	3. Blinders

Lita rapped happily on the door of Vince McMahon's makeshift office space, and upon hearing a muffled, "Come in", sauntered gleefully in.

Even with the bright white, sterile walls of the expo center, Lita found it in herself to smile. It was the only way to not buckle under the crippling weight of her desicion. Yesterday had been Hell after she spoke with Freyja. Edge barely got away from her after a little time in the hotel hot tub. Even a half a second later and they would have been caught red-handed. Thank God for that man and his reaction time. But as a reward, she got to spend the rest of the day with her dear husband.

A further reminder _why_ she was doing this. Why she _had_ to.

"I found her Mr. McMahon." Lita chirped giddily, almost uncharacteristically, banishing any guilt she may feel later on in the week. "Or, rather, Edge found her. Either way, there is a replacement for me, ready and willing."

"That was fast." Vince raised his eyebrows at her, looking the redhead up and down, she seemed to glow now. Her eyes weren't so deep and dark, her skin and hair had regained some luster Something was different about her, that was for sure. "Now, tell me, who is our unlucky lady? Some deranged ring rat that actually wants your crazy husband, I assume?"

Lita shook her head, though, that would have been a good idea; it would have been easier. The bed had already been made for someone else. Lita gulped at the analogy, she knew what kid of bed Freyja would have to lie in, she'd done it herself. "Even better. Freyja."

"Freyja?" Vince's interest peaked. "You chose Freyja?"

"Something the matter?" Lita tilted her head, laying the contract he gave her down on his desk.

"Freyja's been gaining some traction, don't you think this would come across as a punishment for doing a good job? And when she's so new, at that." Vince queried, his fingertips brushing the blank contract he had given Lita to find someone new. She didn't need it anymore, she had her own contract. One that offered _no_ way out.

Lita placed her hands flat on the desk and leaned in slightly. "You said another woman. You never said it couldn't be a diva. You never said that I couldn't have my pick. I pick Freyja."

Vince gave a single breath, pushed out in a forceful, 'Hah', admiring Lita's gumption, and said, "I suppose I didn't. Personally, I think it's a terrible idea, but if that's your choice... It's settled, then?"

"I had a notary draw up a little contract of my own." Lita straightened and smoothed out her blouse. She shrugged her bag off her shoulder, plopping it down discourteously on Vince's desk and pulling out _her_ version of the contract "She's agreed to sign live this evening."

Mr. McMahon picked up the contract, quickly skimming its contents. After he finished, he set the papers down a little harder than necessary and looked up. "Have you _read_ this contract yourself? This is insane, her manager would never go for this!"

Lita smiled wickedly, "Oh, don't worry about her manager. I have plans for him, too."

Vince nodded silently. He shook his head in disbelief. Who but a woman possessed could actually make this work? "Well, best of luck, then."

Lita cocked her head and cooed, "I thank you for the opportunity Mr. McMahon."

Vince waved her out, watching as she slid out the door deftly and shut it behind her with a soft _click_.

Lita turned away, smiling to herself, only to have her smug look shocked off her face at what she saw. Behind her he stood, in his fiery demonic glory, 7 feet tall and broad of shoulder. He was shirtless, and already glistened with with a sheen layer of sweat as he tended to. They weren't on for hours, and she knew he'd come looking for her. Lita swallowed a little vomit at the sight of him. His face twisted to a cruel little smile and he chuckled at her, he laughed that little laugh he always did.

Lita _hated_ that laugh.

"What's got you so happy, dear?"

"Oh," she laughed nervously. "Nothing I just..." She looked back at the door, wondering if she could run back inside and hide behind McMahon's desk like Kane had never seen her at all.

"I got promised a title opportunity match with the newbie." She excused lamely, thought it wasnt _quite_ a lie. "I'm excited, it's gonna be a peice of cake!"

Kane smiled crookedly. "Well, that's wonderful! What do you say..." He grabbed her comparitively small wrist a little harder than necessary. His hand wasn't just warm, it was hot. His skin was always so, so hot. "What do you say we go... celebrate, hm?"

Lita couldn't refuse. Not because he wpuldn't let her, but she was sure if she refused, he'd _know_ something was up. She plastered on her best fake smile and batted her eyelashes up at her gargantuan husband. The bite on her bottom lip told him all he needed to know.

"The locker room's still empty, let's go, dear. I'll have a suprise for you." he chuckled darkly.

Lita already knew what the suprise was. This was permissible, she had a suprise for him as well.

And, she still needed _his_ signature.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Back in the locker room, empty save for the couple, Kane was seated on the floor, back propped up against the wall while Lita tried for all she was worth _not_ to make this last long.

 _Can't tell Edge about this_ , she thought with guilt deep in her heart. It was a necessary evil, but he wouldn't understand. Kanes giant hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her close until their foreheads touched. She could feel his breath run down her neck to her chest. She could feel hersalf getting sick. His eyes shut tight as he kept her in place.

Her pace quickened, glad it was almost over, and his hand gripped tight to her hair to give him _something_ to hold onto as he emmited one final grunt. He kept her like that for a while, and held her against his chest in silence. Lita let him, he always did this, held onto like she was something breakable, something of value. It was almost sweet.

If only it wasn't Kane doing it.

After a moment of silence, one that Kane had misread as intimacy, Lita lifted her head from his broad chest.

"I have something for you." she cooed behind a deceptive smile.

"Hm?" He'd hoped it was something good enough to warrant ruining his blissful post-sex silence.

"Let me up." she lifted herself off him, and by his good graces he let her stand. Crossing the room, bare naked and with little care, she rifled through her bag. It was still early, and of course they had locked the door. Lita retrieved the item in question and proceeded to throw on her previously discarded tank top and cargo pants.

He'd already redjusted his clothing, pants drug back up his hips and he sat on a bench nearby, peering at his wife as she moved toward him. She, rather unceremoniously, plopped the contract next to him.

This was definitely going to be more nerve wracking than making Freyja sign it.

"What's this?" he inquired, meaty hands flipping through the contract, not really reading what it said.

"Renews our vows," Lita lied through her teeth, cupping his face in her hands and moving his face so his eyes looked at her instead of the contract. "We married because of a contract, we have to _stay_ that way with a contract."

"Has it been that long?" Kane chuckled, taking the pen his wife offered him.

He made once more to read the marks on the stack of paper, wanting to ensure his devious little wife was telling the truth. She wasn't exactly known for her integrity.

"Sign it." Lita urged softly, perching herself on his knee and moving to nibble at his earlobe. Kane laughed, distracted. God help him, he couldn't say no to this woman.

Lita swelled with pride to hear the pen scribble on the paper. No one else could have pulled the wool over Kane's eyes like this. What talent, what grace.

Kane discarded the papers and leaned into his wife, head settling into the crook of her neck, ear to her chest just to hear her heart beat. She rested her cheek against his head, thankful he couldn't see the look of utter, unadulterated _relief_ on her face. He signed, he _actually signed._

After a brief moment, Lita turned her head down and whispered, "It's getting late, people are going to start showing up..."

Her husband heaved a sizable sigh, like a petulant teenager, and unwillingly unraveled his arms from around her body. She smiled, moving away to gather up her bags and looked back at him, unlocking the door. "See you later, babe."


	4. Conspiracy

The crowd was rowdy that night. It had, admittedly, been a fantastic show so far. But, the crowd _did_ need a break, and a break they would have. The crew set up the fold out table, a table many a superstar was all too familiar with, cloaked in a black table cloth. At this point in the evening, no one would be going through the table. Instead an unsuspecting victim would sign her freedom away, as if it was worth nothing. Lita rubbed clammy hands together, no one around to help soothe her nerves. She just hoped to God that Kane wouldn't think to ask her just how many contracts she _had_ in her bag after this was over. No doubt he was watching.

Contract in hand, bound formally in a black leather folder, she heard her music blast on, and set off to the ring.

Freyja went up alone, Andone had assured her he'd be right behind her. The older man stood in the crew area, chattering to his brother, Xabi. How proud of his daughter would Xabi be after this news?

"Oh, yes, this is a huge deal!" Andone chattered into the phone, propping it between his ear and shoulder to fix his cuff. One has to look their best at these sorts of things.

"I know she's safe in your hands, Andone." Xabi replied gleefully from half the planet away.

"Of course! In fact I'm headed over to accompany her to the ring right now! I just want to look over the contract before she signs it. Can't be too careful, you know?" Andone started on his way, hearing Xabi agree wholeheartedly. But, that conversation was ended all too soon.

The last thing Andone remembered from that conversation was the sharp twang of a steel chair colliding with the back of his head. The cold, grey floor rushed up to meet him with crushing force. He was fairly certain he hadn't caught himself, a pain in his cheek ever growing, where he'd undoubtedly collided face-first with the floor. Groaning, he attempted to rise.

What the fuck was that? He thought groggily, only to have his attempt to get up thwarted by another strike. This time it was hands that walloped on him, and finally, the older man stayed down.

On the other end of the reciever, Xabi had heard it all. He called into the phone, worried he said,

" _Andone?"_

 _"Andone,_ _are you alright?"_

But Xabi never got his answer, Edge walked over to the discarded flip phone and gingerly pressed the tiny red button, cutting Xabi off from the reality of what had happened to his brother. The man tried to reconnect with Andone, but given Andone's current state, it was a lost cause.

4 more calls from home went unanswered by the time someone found Andone, writhing and groaning on the unforgiving concrete.

Medics and stagehands alike all flocked to the older man, checking his eyes, limbs, and the spot on his cheek that was quickly becoming discolored. A frenzy of worried voices called to him,

"Are you alright?"

"What happened to you?"

Andone struggled to lift his body from the ground, relenting to some help from the gaggle of people milling around. He was absolutely unable to distinguish one voice from another, and simply addressed the group.

"I need.." Andone heaved, trying vainly to shove everyone off him, "To go to Freyja."

"Oh no, absolutely not!" A harried young woman fretted over him. "You need medical attention, your client will be fine on her own."

Andone shook his head, in pain and out of breath, but never got the energy to argue more. Another stagehand, a strapping young man, buried himself beneath Andone's arm and helped him up, leading him over to waiting medical staff.

Andone managed to steal a glimpse at a monitor in the hallway and realized with a sinking feeling: Freyja had already gone to the ring.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Freyja bounced nervously on her heels as Lita, her future opponent, made her way to the ring. Where was her uncle? He was supposed to come out with her. She needed him.

Lita waited impatiently in the ring, folder open wide to expose Freyja's damnation to the world. She knew what the hold up was, Edge had obviously done his job and she'd put him up to it, but still, time was wasting. Freyja needed to get out here.

But Andone wasn't around, he said he'd be there, but he wasn't. Freyja waited as long as she could until a mousy stagehand came to her, his voice rushed and a little panicked. "Ma'am, you have to get out there!" he demanded anxiously.

Freyja looked around the hallway confused. She didnt want to go out there. Not without her trusty manager. "But, Andone-"

"There's no time!" The stage hand interrupted, grabbing a soft hold on her arm and tugging lightly. "We have to get you out there, the crowd is getting restless!"

Freyja finally relented, letting the kid guide her toward the gorilla to the tune of her own walk-on music. She pushed the door aside quickly, and strolled out to the ramp. There were a few cheers, not many, a lot of the more casual fans still had no idea Freyja even existed. But here she was, before everyone, determined to make a name for her self. She strode quickly down the ramp, head held high amidst the roar of the fans. Ascending the stairs, she motioned to the crowd for a few more cheers before sliding between the ropes and taking a seat on the other end of the table.

It was Lita who spoke first, raising the microphone to her lips, "You know, young ambition is the lifeblood of this company."

She smiled at the cheers from the crowd. None of these people had a fucking clue. Freedom was so close for Lita. Despair so close for Freyja.

"And sitting before is that young ambition." Lita continued. "I'm pleased to announce that next week, right here, live on RAW, I've promised to give the young, new talent a shot." The crowd murmured woth excitement and curiosity. "If Freyja Kutlass can beat me, I will relinquish my Women's Title shot to her."

The crowd was positively buzzing at that, looking on at the fresh face of this Freyja Kutlass, finally emerging fully from the minor matches to give Lita, of all women, a run for her money. Freyja beamed at the crowd, not seeing Lita's little smirk at how easily she'd fooled her colleague. "Along with, a little suprise of my own making. If and only if! She wins."

The audience emitted a "What?!", nearly vibrating with curiosity.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm not just going to ruin the suprise." She couldn't possibly give away the 'suprise'. It wpuld ruin everything. "Now, Freyja. Is there anything you'd like to say to the people?" Lita pressed, trying to move this along.

Freyja paused, looking about at the massive crowd, and took the mic from Lita's fingers.

"I thank you for the opportunity." Freyja spoke, finding a confidence that was difficult to dig up without Andone. "But talk is cheap, and I'm not here to wax poetic about how _gracious_ it is of you to extend this chance to me." Freyja's sarcasm was biting, but she finished it off with a good-natured wink. She didn't want to make an enemy of Lita, but if she was too nice, where would be the fun in that?

Freyja quickly swept up the pen from the table to twirl it in her fingers. Off mic, she asked, "Where do I sign?" the anxiety of the situation, and any suspicions she had, had been completely lost to the excitement of the cheering crowd.

Lita pointed out the dotted line, and watched with glee as Freyja, against her better judgement, made her mark on the paper in neat, slanted cursive.

There it was. It was signed. Kane had signed it, Freyja had signed it, and now only Lita had to sign it. But, that was the easy part. Lita couldn't have been happier, and she quickly signed on her own page. The women exchanged one firm handshake, and Freyja turned on her heels, taking the mic with her.

As she left she ducked through the ropes, but stopped halfway, and back tracked. "Oh, there is... one thing."

The audience exploded enthusiastically with a, "What?!"

Freyja smirked at the audience and turned to Lita, "I'm gonna kick your ass next week." she said with a smirk, and winked once more.

Lita couldn't help but laugh. Freyja didn't have any idea what was about to happen to her. Lita had come to terms with it. The contract had been signed by everyone and she no longer felt guilt. Instead, it had been replaced by excitement, and relief.

Knowing she only had one more week with Kane brought her more relief than she'd ever felt in her life.

The crowd oooohed as Freyja sauntered up the ramp, turning once more to wave the crowd off before returning back stage, leaving Lita in the ring, disguising her triumph.

Next week, Lita would be a free woman.

 **~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~**

 **STAY TUNED! Next chapter is a fight! And! My sweet little bby Freyja finds out what was in that contract she totally didn't read.**

 **How will everyone react? Stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Reveal

Andone held the ice pack up to his cheek, just like the medic told him to. He hissed in pain as he moved it, to be able to look at Freyja as she came back stage, Lita following close behind.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, rushing over to her uncle and kneeling before the bench he sat on. Gingerly, she cupped his face in her hands and moved the ice pack just so, to get a better look at the wound. "What happened to you?"

Andone grunted, "Ah. Got attacked."

"Holy shit!" Lita took it upon herself to drop down next to Freyja. "Any idea who could have done it?" She masked her sick pleasure with the state of Freyja's manager. Edge really did a number on the man.

Andone shook his head ruefully. "Attacked from behind mostly. Not even sure of it was a man or a woman."

Freyja rolled up from the ground to sit next to him and shot a nervous look at Lita. It couldn't have been her, she was in the ring. Maybe a misguided attack by that blonde fellow? Or Kane, her husband? She'd have no way of proving it, but she'd figure it out. Maybe it was some other group entirely, wanting a peice of the fresh meat? Freyja shook her head,

"Well, whoever it is, I'm going to find out who did this to you, and they are a dead man." She vowed, fingertips brushing his darkening cheek.

Andone waved her off, "We'll just figure out who it was, and decide whether to press charges from there."

Freyja rolled her eyes like she was 13 again. _Press charges? Really?_ "No, Andone, not in a place like this." She clasped his shoulder one final time before rising to make her way to the dressing room. "If someone wrongs you, you beat the shit out of them. _That's_ how this works. You gonna be okay for a while?"

Andone gave her a quick, curt nod.

"Good, I'll meet you here later." She shot a look at Lita, who seemed a bit caught up in a hushed discussion with her "monster" husband.

Out of Freyja's earshot, Kane had whispered, "You didn't tell me you were gonna sign that live."

Lita had to admit, to the unknowing mind it did seem like a weird thing to sign live. There wasn't a title on the line it was just a title _shot_. The locker room had to be confused. But no matter, all would be revealed, and very soon at that.

Lita looked up at him and batted innocent lashes. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Sorry about that."

Kane scowled at her, unsure how to respond, but whatever he might have said was cut off by a 5-foot brunette laying he hands on either of Lita's shoulders from behind.

"See you next week," Freyja beamed, and ribbed Lita once more, "and remember, I'm gonna kick your ass next week."

With that Freyja withdrew, gave Lita a small wink, and sauntered off down the hall toward the locker room. Lita shook her head, so naïve.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The week flew by quicker than anticipated. Lita had expected it to be the longest week of her life, given that sweet freedom was so close but so far away. But, here she was, as if she'd blinked and suddenly she was on next week's RAW. She'd insisted her match with Freyja go last. No one was sure why, except, of course, the mastermind behind this plan and yes, Mr. McMahon. Kane stood behind her, silent and brooding as always, hand cupping her shoulder as he gazed above her head, watching the match beforehand.

"You ready?!" Freyja swept up to Lita's side, catching her by suprise. She was noticeably excited, and looked more ready than ever to get out there. Lita looked her up and down, her wrestling gear was a matching white set, with arabesques the color of blood.

How like a sacrificial lamb she looked in those colors. How eager she was to be lead to the altar, not knowing she was the fodder. If it weren't for the nerves, perhaps Lita would have shed a tear for her. Lita reminded herself she didn't have that privilege. Freyja wouldn't be needing her sympathy, she likely wouldn't want it. After she was done with her, there would be plenty of people to shed a tear for Freyja Kutlass.

Lita smiled confidently and nodded quickly. "I was born ready. You?"

Freyja chuckled, "Nervous."

Lita shook her head at the younger woman. _Oh, you have no idea._ "You'll do fine out there. I promise."

Freyja offered up an unsure smile, eyes venturing to Kane, who just glowered down at the two women, as he did to everyone. Freyja dared to speak, trying to ease the tension of being stared down: "So will you, notice you brought your moral support!"

Lita rolled her eyes internally, _more like my ball and chain._ She thought to herself, but nodded toward her opponent. Before she could respond, the announcement started rolling.

Lita's heart jumped, _it was time._

Leaving Kane behind, she stepped out into the arena.

The crowd cheered, they always did. Ever since the untimely death of her unborn son, she'd had the them all on her side. She treasured it, after tonight she wasn't so sure what would happen with the crowd.

Freyja emerged next, her heavy, progressive guitar riffs blaring through the speakers, that damned white and blood red attire standing out against her black background. Lita ignored her instinct to leave the arena and rip up the contract. She'd come _this_ far.

The bell rang, the match officially underway. Lita had rehearsed this in her head multiple times. She'd never thrown a match before, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to. She swallowed, knowing she _had_ to, if this were to work.

The ladies circled each other, sizing one another up like wolves would. Freyja advanced first, locking up with Lita for a moment. Eyes met, and Freyja pushed back hard, throwing Lita back first into the ropes.

Lita jettisoned forward, but the ropes were like rubber bands, everyone knew that, so it wasn't unexpected. She stopped just short of her adversary's clothesline, grabbing tight to her for a Twist of Fate. She'd stolen that one from Matt, who was long gone in her memory.

 _Not too rough,_ She said to herself. _Do it for Edge._

Freyja writhed on the ground for a moment, Lita circling around the ring, making it seem like she was simply toying with the younger woman. Lita was a cat that kept pawing at a moth that refused to die. She stopped to stand before Freyja, just about to drag her up, this wasn't going to work if one hit put Freyja out of her misery.

Freyja looked up at the woman who stood before her and shot her a wicked, toothy smile. Her game of Possum was over and she lept to her feet, landing a sick uppercut on her way up. Lita stumbled back, distracted, allowing Freyja to grab her arm, ready to throw her in the corner turnbuckle, but the move was soon reversed.

Freyja's back hit the unforgiving turnbuckle with no small amount of force. She looked up to see the other woman running full force, ready to leap into her. The younger woman ducked just as Lita's feet left the ground and she somersaulted toward center-ring. The older woman's feet found no target, and her legs hooked in the rope as she was suspended momentarily on the ropes, upside down.

Freyja took the opportunity to cross back over the ring and reward Lita with a swift kick to the abdomen. Lita curled up in pain, taking time to notice Freyja took her off the ropes, climbing up the corner deftly. Lita lay there, watching her, and waited for the right time. Freyja's backflip ended in disaster, her body hit nothing but ring, as Lita had rolled out of the way.

The younger woman rolled backwards, her body reaching Lita as she went for the pin, arm hooked aroung the leg and ignoring the pain in her spine.

1... 2...

Lita figured she needed to kick out _at least_ once, as a matter of pride.

Both women stood, the veteran just a bit faster, and she grabbed Freyja to throw her to the ropes, Lita taking the opposite side and hitting her with a heavy clothesline. Freyja went down like a ton of brocks, but from her position on the ground, managed to land a kick to the knee.

Lita dropped to her level, and Freyja landed a left elbow right to Lita's jaw, _hard._ Even Lita had to admit that was good enough to finish, but she fought back. The women traded blows until eventually Lita decoded it was good enough. She feigned her exhaustion, collapsing on the ring. Freyja lept up to climb the nearest turnbuckle, finishing off her opponent with a Moonsault.

Lita felt Freyja's force come down on her, and she decided to end it. She could have kicked out, turned this around, ended this deception, but she instead just waited. She rebelled against every instinct, every part of her body screamed at her to kick out, her nerve synapses firing on all ends but thankfully the count came quickly-

1... 2... 3...

That was it. It was over. It was so, so short but Lita had thrown the match expertly. No one but her would have ever known if not for what she'd soon reveal was at stake. Then, it would be no mystery why she'd thrown the match.

Freyja was on the moon, fueled by the cheering. _She'd_ _get her title match after all._ Running over to the corner, she propped herself up on the second turnbuckle and extended her arms to the crowd. She repeated the action on each corner as Lita struggled to get up. She may have thrown the match, and she was confident she could have made quick work of her opponent, but Freyja had talent, there was no denying. Each corner the younger woman visited drew a larger cheer.

Lita sat up, and laboriously, but eventually, stood in the center of the ring. She recieved the microphone she had beckoned for, the announce table intern ran quickly to hand it off through the ropes. Freyja noticed the exchange and looked at Lita expectantly. The whole crowd saw the mic in her hand and waited with baited breath to see what the loser of the match had to say.

"Y'know," Lita paused to catch her breath. "I'm so glad you're happy about this." She teased sarcastically. Why, no one knew. Lita continued,

"I'm glad you won you... deserve some time in the spotlight."

Freyja moved closer and held her hand out for the mic, which Lita happily placed in her palm. "Guess its good that I won your title shot then, huh?" she asked with a wink.

Lita snatched the mic back and cackled.

"You stupid bitch, you aren't getting a _title_ _shot_." Lita retorted, the snark evident in her voice. The crowds of folks gasped at Lita's choice of foul language. "Don't you understand?"

Freyja motioned for her own mic, suddenly not too keen on sharing the mic with her adversary. The same intern ran one up quick amongst the cacaphony of curios voices. Freyja's brow furrowed as she lifted the mic, "No, I'm afraid I don't."

Lita shook her head, smiling widely, it was almost over, and her giddiness knew no bounds. "Freyja, theres no title shot."

The crowd oooohed at that reveal. Freyja wanted to throw the mic down, give that bitch a _second_ beat down, but she pressed the anger down, determined to let Lita say her peice.

"I threw the match. Of course I did, you thought you could beat _me?"_ Lita continued, veginning to get blanketed in a chorus of _Boos_. "You didn't read the fine print on that contract you signed. Hell, you didn't even read the contract _at all_. But, you still get the suprise I promised."

Lita paused for effect.

"I _wanted_ you to have it. You want to know what you won Freyja? I'll tell you what you won." The woman made a little flick of her wrist and the Titantron flicked on to show the face of her husband, brow furrowed and watching attentively to the monitor, paying no mind the the camera that had been stuck in his face. The audience was thrown into an uproar. They knew what Lita was hinting at far before anyone else involved.

"You've won Kane." Lita said with finailty, earning a look of shock and utter confusion from the younger wrestler. "That's right, this contract you signed? He signed it, too, and so did _I._ It states you'll marry Kane, in ring, _next week,_ and that Kane and I are annulled, effective immediately."

Freyja dropped the mic. It dropped with a loud thud that echoed through the arena.

There were no words, there was no reaction that could fully articulate the depth of shock she felt. As Lita went on about how this allowed her the freedom to see her _real_ man, the one she'd cheated on her husband withfor months, that blonde man from the hotel, that _Edge_. It started to make sense. The pieces came together while Freyja watched Lita rejoice at her freedom, only to _trap_ _Freyja._

She watched the crowd pulsate, she thought she heard some boos, maybe some cheers, she wasnt sure, her vision was hyperfocused only on Lita's smug face. She laughed and careened and called Edge a "real man"... whatever the fuck that was supposed to mean.

Flames shot up from the top of the ramp behind her, and a guitar riff that Freyja was suprised to say she recognized flipped on. Oh, how could she _not_ recognize it now? Down the ramp he came, 7 feet, 300 hundred pounds, Demon from Hell, all brimstone, all anger. It looked like steam rose from his skin. She saw him march down the path with a snarl on his face before her vision went dark at the edges.

She couldn't hear, barely noticed the movement of the crowd. She couldn't see Lita and _oh my god I cant see anyone at all, anywhere._ _It's white, just white. Where am I?_

Freyja had, of course, been staring at the ring floor. She wasn't sure which part of her body hit the ground first. She didn't know how she caught herself, must have just been instinct. Before anyone could do anything Freyja had collapsed near the ropes, hands and knees posted on the unforgiving ring surface. She gasped desperately for air and turned her dark head to the left, she saw only feet shuffling around in the 10x10 square.

Her eyes panned up for a shaky image of a very smug Lita and a red-faced Kane. She saw them only as only blurs, or she saw them as photo-captures, impressions of emotion against a black background and under lights that were too bright. Kane raised his hand, and even though Freyja couldn't hear shit she knew he must have been a half second from hurting Lita or... someone.

A second figure moved in and knocked the giant off his feet, dragging Lita from the ring. Freyja came to, only to see valiant Edge saving Poor Little Victim Lita from the ring. They left Freyja in the ring with the Monster. They _left her there._

Slowly she found her footing, slowly she stood, to gaze on the form of a demon whose attention had changed courses. Lita was long gone, he didn't _care_ to go agter her, for the time being at least. His attention had found a new target, cornered in the turnbuckle. Freyja hadn't meant to show her fear, but it showed all the same. She looked straight up at his face and couldn't decide if it was twisted because it was real or because she still couldn't see straight.

He grabbed her arm, squeezed tight and ( _dear God it is like fire burning my skin get off **GET OFF.**_ ) she couldn't have moved if she wanted to while he snarled, "We need to _talk."_

Freyja had no capacity to argue and, he was right. They _did_ need to talk.


	6. Confrontation

"Everybody out!" Kane demanded, earning more than a few confused looks from the other locker room inhabitants.

" _Now_!" he boomed. The other men didn't need anymore convincing than that. Even the toughest and strongest of them weren't particularly scared, but thought it may be best to leave the situation alone.

Kane all but threw Freyja into the dressing room, finally releasing her. She stumbled into the lockers on the far side of the room. Her hands lay flat against the metal, but not for long, she quickly turned to ensure she hadn't turned her back on the Monster behind her for too long.

He slammed the door shut, and pounded his fist against it. She heard the wood crack slightly under his force. She had flinched when he turned around, she hadn't meant to. He stared at her and said nothing, just breathed, and it came in heavy, laborious pants. Freyja could feel her blood run cold as he flexed his fists.

Open, closed, open, closed... Freyja realized people don't quite understand just _how big_ 7 feet of person is until it's about to charge right _at them._

But he didn't. He just stood there and stared. The shock had caught them both by the tongue and all they could do was look at each other, Kane ready to tear the locker room apart and every muscle in Freyja's body was tensed and screaming at her, _RUN._

"Why would you sign that contract?" Kane finally belted out, slowly, his face red and angry.

"I didn't- know..." Freyja replied, and her mouth felt bone dry. "I could ask you the same thing."

Kane yelled, not liking the answer, his fist hurtling back into the wall, again, putting a crack in the drywall behind him. He lunged for the nearest bench and plopped down on it, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"There has to be a way out." Freyja spoke again and it came out like a whisper.

Kane scoffed from behind massive hands.

"You have no idea how this industry works." he retorted after a moment, he lifted his head, glaring at the young woman across the room. His eyes raked her body, almost hatefully, and she shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny before he laid his forhead in his palm once more. "At least Lita had the decency to trade herself in for a newer model."

Freyja's brow furrowed, and she took a few steps toward him, "I beg your pardon?! What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Kane swiftly rose, stopping Freyja in her tacks as he towered over her. The girl wasn't so tough when she could plainly see he had her by two feet and _at least_ 170\. He used his gargantuan size to slowly back her into the wall next to the door. Freyja's panick set in when she felt the cold plaster aginst her back, and he hands immediately came up, ready to push Kane away. He was far too close for as long as theyd been acquainted.

He caught both her hands and pinned them to the either side of her head. Her immediate reaction was to struggle, wriggling her wrists desperately only for him to lean down and look straight into her panicked face. "Let me go, damnit!"

"A bit of a fighter, hm?" He let go of her, hands now resting against the wall where he'd once held her wrists. She was free and yet she still couldn't move. His fingers grabbed lightly to a stray hair and tucked it behind the terrified girl's ear. His touch was soft but his words were not. "Maybe Lita _did_ do _something_ right. We could have so much _fun_ this way.. _._ "

He needed somewhere else for his pain to go, and what better target? His fingers ventured down to her cheek, and brushed the side of her neck. He could feel her heart pound and he could almost hear it as his palm rested there. Terrified, just how he wanted her.

His words crawled inside her brain and sloshed around like acid in a beaker. Freyja took a few moments to calm down, taking a few deep breaths, determined to keep her cool. With each breath she was nearly choked by his scent, it overpowered all else. He reeked of sweat and charcoal, like bonfire smoke.

Kane watched with feigned amusement as she tried to calm herself. He saw the slow progression of her face, fear melted away and dissapated until the only thing left was fatigue. She realized above her fear, she was tired of the theatrics.

"I know what you're doing." Her body relaxed, not from ease, but from apathy. She wanted to be afraid he'd hurt her but at this point, she couldn't force herself to care. "I can see right through you."

Kane's eyes flashed with fury and his free hand balled up in a fist. "You don't know anything _about_ me."

Freyja shook her head slowly, reality was catching up to her faster than she could handle, her emotions had flipped from panic, to woe, to anger, and back again. "You're trying to frighten me to distract yourself but-" Freyja made a daring move to cup the side of his face in her hand, an almost tender gesture Kane hadn't been expecting. She said to him, not out of anger and not to taunt him but just out of pure disregard for her well being, "You're in pain, and you could slit my throat right here and it wouldn't change anything."

Kane _almost_ leaned into her hand. His own wife had never given him such a tender gesture. But he realized who it was touching him, and why, and batted her hand away, "Careful, girl, I might have to take you up on that-"

Their "conversation" was cut short by several fists pounding on the locker room door, and cries of,

"Kane! Please, come out!"

"Freyja, we need an interview!"

"How does it feel to know your wife's been cheating on you?"

The chatter outside was maddening, and Kane straightened. He didn't want to talk to anyone, but they'd never leave him alone if he didn't just get it over with, unfortunately. He knew what these so called "journalists" were all about. "This isn't over." he grumbled, hand hovering over the handle.

"I know." she replied softly and slipped out as soon as the door swung wide. Freyja kept her head down and shoved past the reporters accosting her toward the women's dressing room.

She blindly and briskly walked down the halls, feeling all eyes on her. Eyes that were full of pity she didn't want. She rushed to turn the handle and push open the oak door that read: _Ladies._

The other women stopped in their tracks, any conversation, giggling, or preening ceased at once when she walked in. She looked across all their fair, beautiful faces and saw... _fuck it, more pity._ She also saw relief. Relief that it was _her_ and not _them_. The whole locker room knew it could have been any one of their own, and to say that they'd breathed a sigh of relief that Lita had chosen Freyja as her victim was an understatement.

Freyja didn't want to meet their eyes, she said nothing and made straight for her locker, head turned to the floor. The other girls finished quickly and packed their things, clearing the room as fast as possible to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. This was what Kane had turned her into already. A pariah.

No, it wasn't Kane's fault... it was Lita's.

Speak of the devil, the door pushed open again, and Freyja turned at the sound of laughter. Lita was walking in backwards, her attention turned to someone outside the door. Edge, no doubt. There was no telling when or _if_ the demon that stalked these halls would wantto take his revenge tonight.

"Yeah, I'll see you in a second, babe." she smiled, and closed the door, looking into the locker room to find only Freyja, standing there, staring at her.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Lita knew the door was cracked open. Of _course_ a camera was following her. Wasn't there _any_ privacy in this business?

She knew the answer was no.

Lita stood her ground, expecting a chewing out from the smaller woman. , but all she got was a quick and forceful,

"Get out."

Lita sneered, "This is just as much my locker room as it is yours."

Freyja rushed across the room to the duffelbag she knew was Lita's and lobbed it furiously at the veteran, a few of her things falling on the floor. "Not anymore! Get out!" she exclaimed.

Lita reeled back, eyebrows gathered in the middle, she threw her bag on the ground again, and kept her stance, "Look, you'll have to understand-"

"I don't." Freyja interrupted, hands closing into fists.

Lita grasped the bridge of her nose, "I had to do, what it took, to get out of that relationship."

"Oh, was it _hard_ being Kane's wife?" Freyja feigned sympathy, and gave a scoff. "Forgive me for not feeling _sorry_ for you."

"I found way out of marrying Kane, you can find one, too." Lita taunted, knowing full well her contract was iron-clad.

"I don't _care_ about Kane, Lita!" Freyja's voice raised in exasperation, the tears threatened to well up the more worked up she got. " _Kane_ is _not_ the _problem_. It could have been anyone on the roster and it wouldn't matter, what you did was a tremendous overstep! I'm a _person_. You don't get to make decisions like that for anyone!"

"Like I said, I did what I had to." Lita deadpanned.

Freyja rolled her eyes and blinked a few times at the light on the ceiling, keeping the waterworks from turning on before she looked at Lita again, eyes tired. "Just go."

Lita smirked, hiding her regret, and her fear for her colleague's well being. The older woman grabbed her duffelbag, picked her things off the floor, and sauntered out of the room, leaving Freyja alone and for the first time that evening, in unadulterated silence. In her complete solitude the fatalist natire of her situation finally hit home. Unsure of what was to happen to her beyond having to marry a stranger, She let her back hit the lockers and slid down their surface.

The tear finally came, she slammed the back of her head against the hollow metal with a sob, before running her fingers through her hair, which she'd realized was still done, and she ripped out out of its ties to let it down. As she was wiping away some of the tears and the damage they'd done to her mascara, the door opened again.

Andone walked in, knowing the only woman in the room was his neice, he watched the other women leave, in his hands he held a copy of the contract. He, of course, immediately requested one after her match. Eyes still scanning the pages with horror, he looked at his woeful client.

"Freyja I-" Andone started, but he choked on his words. He was supposed to be there. But he'd failed her. "I'm _so sorry._ "

Freyja shook her head. There was no reason for him to be sorry, it wasn't his fault he got attacked before the signing. Poor, dear, Andone blamed himself for everything. He couldn't get over the _guilt_. All he'd had to do was read the contract, one it was apperent now that he was never meant to read, by any means necessary. But he couln't even do that, he couldn't have gotten ahold of and read a few peices of fucking paper, and now he cpuldn't protect his own family. He'd fucked up, he'd failed. Freyja didn't see it, she didn't blame him, she couldn't understand.

"It is useless to hurry," she motioned to the contract in his hands. "The water has already gone by."

Andone laughed softly through tearful eyes. It was something her father always said. A father he knew would be calling him at some point, but for now, he had Freyja to worry about.

With a small sigh, she stood from her spot, and grabbed her bag. She retreated to the locker room, and came out freshly showered and changed. As she approached her uncle, she clasped his shoulder, "Come on."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Oh, babe, lighten up!" Edge laughed, shaking his woman a little with his arm around her in the back of the big black taxi. "It's over now, okay? Over."

Lita managed to crack a smile at Edge's jeering. "I guess so. We can really start our life together. We can be happy, now." Lita began to feel the mirth her boyfriend was trying to drive into her.

Edge's other arm snaked it's way around her waist, pulling her close, his lips hovering over hers, "Aren't you happy, now?"

"You have no idea." She said, and closed the distance between their lips. The driver took off, it was almost a fairytale ending.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The locker room was so quiet save for the heaving breath of the Big Red Monster himself, and the creaking of the wooden bench he rocked himself back and forth on. The reality had finally hit him, too.

He'd been spurned by his lover. His wife no longer wanted him. The worst part, the worst of it was that she'd done it publicly, and with deceit. She'd humiliated him, she'd made a fool of him, she was forcing him to take some second-rate replacement.

She needed to _pay_ for what she'd done. He was going to make her life _Hell_ if he had anything to say about the matter. He was angry, yes, very angry.

But he was also in pain. It was a new sensation for him, he was unaccustomed to pain. He was the one who made others feel pain, and so the pain _he_ felt was not right, it was unnatural. It didn't belong inside him, he wanted it out.

Lita had to pay.

 _She will pay._

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Freyja threw the ball up, and watched it fall down, catching it just before it smacked her in the face. She'd found it in the parking lot, a small blessing in an otherwise _very_ long night. She threw it up again, and let it fall back down. All her ears could hear was the ticking of the clock and her own tinnitus. In her own head, though, she heard over and over,

 _"You've won Kane."_

It was maddening.

Freyja heaved a great sigh. She looked over at the tray on her bedside table, with a little slice of chicken and some rice Andone had brought for her, and she wondered if eating was even worth it. She wasn't particularly hungry, and who could blame her? The uncertainty of her future was crushing.

A knock on the door was what finally roused her. She popped up from the hotel bed and gazed through the peep hole to see none other than Hurricane himself. Until recently, he'd been the only one that actually seemed interested in talking to her, and with that in mind she tentatively opened the door. She should not have.

The green clad hero bust through the cracked door and slammed the wood behind him like a man being chased by wolves. Freyja was left reeling at the intrusion, about to get on to her friend about barging in, but he caught her off-

"Damsel!" He addressed her with a grandiosity that wasn't quite warranted. "Pack your things, I'm taking you away from this place!"

He rushed to the window and peered out the blinds with vigor. He was a man possessed, he'd worked himself into some sort of frenzy.

Freyja shook her head, "Hurricane, why-"

"You're in danger, I'm going to save you, citizen." He puffed out his chest, and seemed quite like a valiant knight in a cartoon, and the image eased Freyja a little bit.

"Hurricane, I'm not in danger!" Freyja laughed awkwardly, she wasn't sure it was true, but she couldn't stand people obsessing over her situation like this.

His expression darkened a bit, quite uncharacteristically. "You don't know Kane like the rest of us. He's volatile, he's violent. You _are_ in danger."

Freyja sighed. "I'm not going with you, and I don't need your pity."

"Whats up woth that?! Citizen Freyja, _let me save you!_ You need my help... _"_ he pleaded, and went on, his words speeding up and turning quickly indiscernible. She didn't get it. She couldn't survive Kane. Lita barely did, and Lita was tough as nails.

"Shane!" She replied firmly.

"I asked you not to call me that." Hurricane's voice lowered as if they were sharing a secret. Freyja rolled her eyes and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I'm not just going to run away. It's an act of cowardice." She assured him.

"Really?" Hurricane leaned an elbow against the dresser, catching his breath. He didn't know how else to help, other than just talking her away. _Why won't she listen?_ In an unusual show of sincerity, he removed his mask. Freyja could see his whole face, furrowed brows and faint freckles and all. His worried expression was more apparent sans-mask. "No one would blame you, ya know? No one would call you a coward for running from _that_."

"I'll figure something out." Freyja crossed the room and laid a hand on his shoulder. "But I'm not going to turn tail and run."

Hurricane silently nodded, and moped towards the door, refastening his mask. He had tried, and he wasn't ready to give up, but for tonight it had seemed enough.

"Good night, valiant hero." Freyja called softly after him as he left down the hallway.


	7. Wedding from Hell 2-0

Freyja still didn't have a plan. It had taken her the week and she still had no idea what to do. The week seemed to pass in slow motion, every day almost the same since they'd arrived in Milwaukee on Thursday. She'd wake up, go down to breakfast, meet the same pitying looks and knowing wicked smiles, work out with the same thoughts clouding her mind, make appearances with fans asking the same questions, and it would start all over again.

The only outlier was Saturday, when an unmarked box showed up at her hotel room door. In it was a note, inscribed with some of the most atrocious writing she'd ever seen.

 _I bought it for Lita. She never wore this. You will._

That was all. It was a simple enough request, to wear the dress. It wasn't an ugly dress, either. It also wasn't anything particularly special, just some strapless A-line number with chiffon for the skirt. She had it taken up a few inches, but it was otherwise ready to wear. Clean, white as snow.

It struck her as odd that she'd been mostly left out of the wedding planning. She wasn't sure _who_ was in charge, but no one from the show had told her to plan anything for their... "segment", they called it. It was odd. Usually the bride was _in charge_ of these things but, not this time, apparently.

The night came faster than expected, despite it being the slowest week ever. Kane had made himself scarce, locking himself up or just flat out ignoring everyone who came near. He'd done it before Lita, and now that she had thrown him out, he'd isolated himself again. For all his talk of how much so-called "fun" he'd have terrorizing his new wife, he hadn't made a move to. Freyja didn't seek him out, either. Best not to tempt fate.

Freyja stood before the vanity mirror. She should have been grateful for the room set aside, just for her. It should have been nice to get away from the stares for a while. But a part of her wished they could see, she wished they could all see, maybe someone could have stopped it if they saw this was actually happening right before their eyes.

Andone had been given a spot in the Men's Dressing Room, he belonged there if he was to be part of the show, he was told. He straightened his suit with a slight jostle and sized himself up in the mirror. He'd pictured this day, but not like this. Rounding the corner from the restrooms he saw his future Nephew-in-law, dressed head to toe in a white tuxedo, a rehash of his first wedding, large and uncoordinated fingers fiddling with a clip-on bowtie.

 _Ah,_ Andone thought to himself with woe, _So its a retelling of a year_ _old story. A "white wedding"._ He was sursure he knew who planned it know. Lita had decided that bastard should finally get his white wedding. But not woth her. Heavens, not with her. Though the wedding was a revamp of one already past, this time it seemed conterfeit. It was too flashy, yet sad and dissapointing in its undertone, almost, nay, definitely, a tawdry knockoff of its original apperance. Andone hated it, but, as he wagched Kane's unwilling fingers fumble the clip-on, he sighed a sight of defeat.

 _Be civil, Andy, please._ Freyja's voice echoed in the man's head. He sighed a sigh of defeat. Fine. He'd be _civil_.

"What are you doing?" Andone asked, the locker room was mostly cleared out, the wedding was the second-to-last event and the earlier preformers who had no reason to stay had mostly at least packed and vacated the room if not left all together. No one wanted to watch the horror to come.

Kane looked up at the older man, staring him down, the intensity of his gaze not lost on Andone. "Clipping on this stupid tie."

Andone rolled his eyes. "A clip-on? At your own wedding?"

This question earned a quizzical look from the giant before him. Andone came closer, but Kane leaned back. The Basque undid his own white bowtie and took yet another step towards Kane. "Clip-ons are for boys, come closer."

The man left very little room for argument. Kane eyed him suspiciously, and replied, "Why?"

Andone held the bowtie still in one hand, and quickly nabbed the clip-on from the younger man with the other. "I have sworn to Freyja that I will be civil. And this is me, being civil. Now, do you trust me?"

Kane looked Andone up and down once more, his common sense telling him not to but, his eyes showed him that this man couldn't hurt him if he'd tried. Andone wasn't even 5'11. What was he going to do to Kane, the Big Red Monster? Kane scooted closer, Andone flipping up the wrestler's collar and getting to work.

Andone tied up the real bowtie in record tim, and instead of taking quick leave, his heart jumped into his throat as he braced his hands on either of Kane's shoulders. The smaller man knelt down in front of the behemoth, looked him in the eye despite the danger of it.

"Kane, I've no children of my own. Freyja is the closest I have to a daughter." he began.

Kane scoffed, "Your point?"

"Please, keep her safe. Keep her well. You're to be her husband, it's to be your job." Andone's hands had found their way folded atop one of Kane's.

The Demon jerked his hand away, staring at Andone's pleading eyes.

"No promises." Kane scoffed. It was half from disdain, half was from actual uncertainty. He'd been handed this, this porcelain doll, this slip of a woman to keep for his own but, he knew what always happened when fragile things were placed in his care. Katie, Lita, his own child. Freyja would be no different, and he was starting to lose control of those... damn... voices.

Andone's eyes cast downward as he stood, nodding slowly, but mute. He left the room quickly, leaving Kane alone.

Andone's brisk retreat found him at Freyja's door, a stage hand pulling him aside quickly, asking him if Kane was ready. It only meant one thing.

 _It was time._

Andone picked up the pace, needing thelat moment alone with his niece, and unsure how much time he had. The door to Freyja's dressing room creaked open to reveal the bride. She should have had her friends from the home country to attend her. Her mother should have been there, and Xabi, her father, to walk her down the aisle. But it all happened so fast, all she had was her old uncle. To Freyja, Andone was more than she could have asked for.

She stood upon his entrance, and he saw her in her full glory, hair done up, and gown reaching the floor with a small pool of white fabric trailing behind her. Andone approached his niece almost reverently. Each hand found its way to either side of her face, gazing deep into worried eyes he said,

"No bride was ever half as beautiful. And no man on Earth was ever half as brave." he told her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead, and they were words meant to placate. They did nothing of the sort.

Freyja shook her head silently, choking down the tears that threatened to well up. This wasn't an act of bravery. An act of bravery would be to kill the man in his sleep, running away was an act of cowardice so no, marrying Kane was neither of those. This was an act of passivity, it was complacency. She _hated_ it. But she hadn't the wherewithal to kill a man and she'd be damned if she ran away, tail tucked between her legs.

Andone led her to the entrance to the arena, Kane had already gone into the gorilla, where he couldn't see her. Bad luck and all that. A stage manager ran up to her, thrusting a bouquet into her hands, all white, of course.

The young woman regarded the bouquet with a confused expression. She looked up at the manager, "Who picked these?"

"Lita." she replied. "Lita insisted on planning everything."

Freyja nodded and returned her attention to the flowers, scoffing at them. Chrysanthemums. Funeral flowers.

What an appropriate, yet uncalled for insult of a choice. And yet it was so, glaringly, painfully Lita.

The organ struck her introductory chords and she knew if was time. Ruefully linking arms with Andone, she was led to the gorilla, out to the arena, and down the ramp. She walked as slowly as possible, determined to stretch out her last remaining minutes of freedom.

Kane had since turned around, his characteristic evil grin plastered on his face as Freyja's manager led her up the steps. He released her reluctantly, exchanging a quick kiss on the cheek with his niece and a formal and impersonal handshake with Kane.

The ceremony went quite like one would expect. If this was to be a terrible parody of Kane's first wedding than the subpar vows were read in much the same manner. _Property this, MINE that, whatever Kane has to tell himself to make himself feel better._ Freyja thought, she was over it.

As the young woman read out her own insincere vows, she realized what it was that could rectify the situation. She droned on alsomt in autopilot while the answer skirted at the corners of her mind: Kane hated Lita. She'd cheated on him, thrown him away like trash. She'd tricked him into marrying some stranger. She'd broken his heart, what little heart he had, certainly.

Freyja hated Lita. She'd pretended to like her, befriended the young woman. Only to _use_ her. Only to leave Freyja to fend for herself in a loveless marriage with the same monster she herself had gone to unspeakable lengths to avoid.

She'd use it. She'd use that mutual hatred of Lita to bond with this tank of a man. They'd take all that anger, all that hurt- and Lord knew there was _a lot_ of it- and theyd direct it not at each other, but at the source. Freyja was over being a victim. She would not fall prey to Kane, she'd make Lita pay for tricking Freyja into falling prey to her. Kane might be displeased with his new wife, but Freyja was willing to bank on the hope that he hated Lita _far_ more, she was willing to die for it. And that was just it: help Kane get revenge on Lita or die trying. It was simple, although dangerous.

 _Yes. It could work._ She thought to herself, she could handle it, too busy plotting revenge to notice that everyone was looking at her expectantly.

She easily discerned what was asked and with great difficulty managed to choke out, "I do."

Kane moved the veil over her face to reveal her to the world, his giant hand wrapped around the small of her back and pulled her close, his lips decending on hers. He didn't wait for the preist to tell him he could, but why did he need to? Who would tell him no? No ever had before and come out in one peice, either physically or emotionally. The kiss was clumsy, and forceful, just like everything he did. Freyja could find no escape, but she had thought of something better than an escape.

The kiss over soon enough, though. The young woman was released. She smiled, as Kane's vice-like grip led her down the stairs, but not over the joys of matrimony. She smiled knew now, what exactly it was she had to do.


	8. Sacrifice

The newlyweds stumbled back into the backstage area, two painstakingly familiar faces waiting for them. Of course they were. Edge had a foot on the cement wall, butressing it with his body, Lita right next to... well, practically on top of him.

Lita plastered on a fake smile, "Oh my god!" she drawled. "Congratulations, you guys!" She and Edge bust out laughing like something was fucking funny.

Kane took in a sharp breath, in his flash of anger his hand clamped tighter on Freyja and she gritted her teeth, ready to say something, but he was soon interrupted. Lita's laughter was cut short, Freyja's free forearm collided with Lita's chest, pushing the taller woman back against the nearest wall. Freyja snarled, "This isn't over." It would be the first threat of many.

Edge barked, "Hey!" and made a move for the women to separate them, but before anyone could retaliate Kane yanked his new wife back towards him, replacing the hand that had grasped her forearm with one hand on either shoulder, where he could keep her from doing anything stupid again. "Control your woman." the blonde man commanded.

Kane sneered at Edge, the two men sizing each other up as Lita and Freyja did the same below.

"What are you going to do, Freyja? Throw down in a wedding dress? Threaten to kill me? Go on, we all know you won't do it." Lita taunted, looking down her nose at the shorter woman, Edge's readiness to fight and Kane's controlling hands providing a barrier between the two.

Freyja narrowed her eyes, then closed them and forced her shoulders to relax, she ceased leaning forward, instead backing into Kane to put some distance between her and Lita's sheild. It's never going to work if you don't keep your head straight, Freyja. She said to herself before peeling her eyes open and fixing Lita with a cold, even stare. She wasn't safe from Kane like this, but at least she was safe from Edge and Lita as long as he was there.

"No," she uttered smoothly. "No, I'm not going to stand here and make empty threats. It's not my style." Frejya's head shook slowly. "I am, however, going to beat the ever-living shit out of you. That is something I am going to do."

Edge was about to retort, but his thoughts were interrupted by a stern, "It won't be today." Her eyes shot up at the blonde. "Probably won't be next week. But I will. It's going to happen."

Kane gave her a quick nudge and a hard, "Let's go."

Freyja let him push her down the corridor. They passed the men's room, and came to her own dressing room. He finally turned her around a bit roughly to face him and released her. They just looked at each other for a moment, neither quite sure what to say.

Kane plastered on his wicked grin, digging in his pocket and pulling out a room key to his suite, handing it over to her. "223." was all he said.

Freyja regarded it, Embassy Suites. A Hilton? Freyja had to laugh. At least the man has taste. She cocked one eyebrow. "You're handing this to me and just expecting me to come to your room, alone, tonight?"

"You'll come." He said curtly, half commanding and half assuring her. He knew she'd come.

"I thought you'd drag me there by the back of my neck or, at least hang over my shoulder while you escort me." Freyja deadpanned.

"I don't need to. You'll come on your own. You know what will happen if you don't." Kane growled, taking some comfort in his threat. He done it to Matt to get Lita, he'd do it to Andone to get Freyja.

Freyja looked up at Kane, and nodded slowly. "Everyone keeps saying I should be afraid of you. That you're dangerous." She shifted on her feet. "Are you really a monster, Demon Man?"

"Yes." Kane sneered, lifting a hand to tilt her head up further to look him in the eye. "Does that scare you?"

Freyja pulled his hand away, "No."

"It should." Kane assured, watching Freyja move for the door to her dressing room to change. As she crossed the threshold she tossed back a soft,

"Ill see you." and she shut the door on Kane with a quiet thud.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was that easy. She was married to a Monster. The Monster, the one she'd assumed all other monsters in the WWE were measured against. She had her plan, now she needed help. The taxi stopped momentarily, and she went into her own hotel to grab a few things.

Coming down the stairs to the lobby, a few familiar faces had appeared at the bar. It wasn't unusual. Most of the talent liked to blow off a bit of steam after a show. She quickly found who she was looking for. He didn't drink much, but he liked making friends, and the bar was a good place to do it.

Making straight for Hurricane, she lay a palm flat on his shoulder. He turned and saw his friend, a sad smile crossing his face, for though he could not bear to watch, that small and simple string of diamonds on her left hand told him everything he needed to know. They'd actually gone through with it.

"You want to help?" Freyja asked him, and the answer was easy. Turning in his bar stool, he responded,

"Of course, citizen Freyja."

Her expression remained flat, almost commanding, "Get your friends on my side before Lita gets to them. I'm going to see Kane."

As she made to leave, Hurricane grabbed her arm softly. "Wait! You can't do that, it's suicide. Come on, I'll get my friends, but we can protect you from him, I promise."

"Shane, let go of me please." She asked nicely but his hand remained closed on her arm and his eyebrows raised under his mask, unsure of Freyja knew what she was doing. She'd admit, she had no idea. But it was worth a try and if it didn't work, what was Kane going to do? Kill her? He was welcome to, it's not like her life could get any worse. Freyja sighed. "I really appreciate your willingness to protect me, but I need you in a different way. I have my plan, but it's going to take more than just me and Kane to pull it off. I need your help."

Hurricane's eyes narrowed. "Why would Kane help you with... whatever you're planning?"

"He'll help." Freyja responded, but her uncertainty was apperent. She freed herself from his grasp, grabbed her overnight bag, and made for the lobby door where her taxi waited to cart her off to the Embassy.

"But Freyja-"

"Goodnight, Shane!"

"Don't call me that!"

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Here she stood, room 223. Behind the black door resided her ultimate doom. At least, that was what she had been told, by everyone. Even Lita knew what doom lay behind that wooden barrier. Everyone had been looking at her like she was already dead.

Freyja's nervous hands found the door handle and pushed it open. Kane sat there, on the far end of the room in an easy chair, elbow on the arm rest and hand on one side of his jaw. He didn't look up, but smirked as she entered the room and lay down her bag.

"My _wife_." He greeted, his words like poison dripping from his tongue.

Freyja pushed her anxiety down as far as it would go, determined to keep her heart from erupting out of her chest. "Kane."

Freyja's eyes fell on him with an uneasy stare that he didn't seem to notice. Instead, his head cocked over to the dresser, where there lay an ice bucket housing a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"Mr. McMahon sent that up here." He explained, sitting back in the chair, sizing up the woman in front of him. "Guess he figured it would make tonight... easier for you."

Kane laughed bitterly at his own suggestion, since Freyja certainly wasn't going to.

The dark-haired young woman audibly scoffed. The man convinced Lita she needed to write up a trick contract for her to sign her life away, give up her rights, wed a stranger, and he had the audacity to send Spumante to their room?

Fuck him.

She made her way over to the champagne and popped it herself, splitting the bubbling liquid between the two flutes and bringing one over to Kane, a simple show of good will. He took the dainty glass from her and held it aloft, face contorted in a cruel smile.

"To a long and... _happy_... marraige." He teased maliciously.

Freyja rolled her eyes at his unnecessary theatricality and took a sip of her champagne after tapping the glass lightly on his rim.

"I'm glad you didn't cause any problems at the ceremony." Kane mentioned, taking a sip from his own glass and cracking his neck.

Freyja just stared at her glass, still standing by the little end table the champagne sat on. She nodded absentmindedly. She wasn't sure if this was his way of saying, "Thank you for not making a scene" or "Sorry this happened to you", but it didn't matter. She was determined to down this champagne to dull her senses so that it would never matter.

"Why would I? I don't blame you. Not for any of this" She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the seating area, and eyeing the man across from her. He uncrossed his legs, his heavy foot falling to the carpeted floor with a mutes _thud._

"Oh?" His non-existent eyebrows raised. "Who is to blame then?" He wasn't used to not being the scapegoat. It was his fault Lita didn't want him. His fault she felt so trapped she had no choice but to pull this deceptive bullshit. His fault Freyja was here. That was what he'd expected.

"Lita, of course." Freyja dismissed, taking a too-large gulp of her alcohol. "This is, quite literally, all her fucking fault." Intense green eyes fell on Kane, heavily accented cursing hung in the room like stale air.

Kane's mouth turned up slightly at the edges, enjoying listening to the girl talk shit on his ex-wife, because at this point in his life, he wanted to do little else.

"I mean," Freyja went on, not paying attention to Kane's lack of a proper response. The champagne was hitting her considerably smaller frame a bit harder. "Aren't you just a bit raw about it?"

Kane nodded, and said nothing.

Freyja continued her tirade, "Are you familiar with the term 'Wicker Man', Kane?" She interjected once more after a brief silence.

Kane sighed. This woman couldn't just shut up, be afraid, lay down and spread her legs. No, apparently they had to have a conversation. "No."

"It was a sacrifice, in the days of the Ancient Celts. They'd build a man out of sticks and boughs during the time of the harvest. It is speculated the Druids of the time would even put humans, convicts, ne'er-do-wells, riff-raff, inside before burning it as a sacrifice to their Gods to ensure good crop." Freyja explained casually, moving to take a drink but stopping to look at Kane. "You understand where I'm going with this?"

Oh, now they were doing analogies, too. Perfect. Kane rubbed at his temples. "We're being burned... by Lita to appease her new 'god', Edge." He translated, and it made sense to him. It was a viable explanation, but still, it missed the mark for Freyja.

Freyja smiled, "No, maitea."

Kane shrugged. He leaned back in the chair again, he'd lost interest.

"It was a good guess, though. But no, you see... I am the Wicker Man. I am being burned to appease... you." The young woman said plainly, setting her empty champagne glass on the dresser, and approaching the Monster. Kane leaned forward, to rest his elbows on his knees, becoming quickly very tired of her riddles.

"Would you get to the point, then?!" Kane snapped, losing his patience.

"They gave me to you because they know what kind of man you are. They know what you're capable of, and hoped to God that you'd forget yourself if you had a new toy to play with. But you're still capable of ruining them as they fear. I am here solely because _they_ _are afraid of you._ " Freyja took the galf-empty glass from her new husbands hand and retreated again, taking the alcohol with her. Kane didn't need it, but she would.

"You can't feasibly drag Lita out to the ring and beat the shit out of her in front of God and everybody. Or, rather, you can.

"But you shouldn't." Freyja turned on her heelz to face him once again. "We have a fast-track, one way ticket to making Lita the bad guy here. And that's what you want, isn't it? For Lita to be the bad guy?"

Kane rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps this girl had something to say after all. "I'm listening."

"You can't beat the shit out of Lita. But I can. And I want to." Freyja sauntered slowly over to where Kane hadn't so much as shifted in his seat. "If you'll have me, I'll help you." Freyja breathed out deep, bringing herself down to kneel before him. She realized it was too close, too familiar.

"I'll help you get your revenge. Provided I can exact some revenge of my own." She tilted the glass rim up in a toast-like gesture, and threw back his alcohol too. She dared to look up at his twisted face, which had turned into a cruel grin. She remembered everyone's warning words. He was dangerous, and in light of that her words were sure and stable but her hands were shaky and nervous. He laughed, and leaned forward while a huge hand and large fingers gripped her chin roughly, pulling her into unknown territory. The alcohol had soaked into her system now, as fast as she had downed it, and her fear started to fall away.

"I like you." Kane growled sinisterly. It was an excellent suggestion, to take revenge on Lita.

"So it's a deal, then." Freyja extended her hand, only to have it shoved away by Kane's rough hands as he chuckled,

"Demon's don't seal deals with _handshakes_." Kane drawled, that predatory grin that was growing far too familiar for Freyja's liking developing on his cruel face. "What are you willing to do to get your "revenge"?"

Kane inspected the unsure face of the young woman he would now be foreced to call his wife.

Freyja let the tension of his words hang in the air for a moment. She knew what he wanted and she knew she was the one that would have to give it to him, she prepared herself for what she knew she was getting herself into.

Freyja was trapped in his grasp, and she had no choice. Lita had to pay _by any means necessary._ She knew this was a possibility, and she had made her peac with it. She mustered up all the courage she had and commanded,

"Claim your sacrifice."

And for the first time in a very long time, Kane did as he was told.


	9. The Deal

**Warning: The following chapter is only plotless smut. If you dont want to read it, do not, if you do...** **Have at it, you freaks ;)** **~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~**

Kane wasted no time crashing his lips down on hers, and he felt her draw back slightly at the force. He let his hand creep to the back of her neck but he didn't need to pull her back to him, she leaned forward after becoming acclimated to him, her hands creeping up to brace herself on his wide shoulders. Kane would have laughed in triumph if his mouth wasn't busy. His hand tightened around a thick mess of chocolate-brown hair and he pulled her even closer, she instictively crawled up to straddle his lap, right where he was hoping she'd go. The chair creaked under the now 420 pounds that writhed on top of it. Her hands worked at he buttons of his dress shirt, and he knew now she meant what she said. Her hips grinded on his lap, her fingers busy underessing him, his hands pulled her in.

 _No, no, no, no, this will not do_. A voice from somewhere behind his mind said. _She told_ you _to claim_ her.

Kane could only agree. He needed to be in control. He deserved it. She was his, after all, she was goving herself to him. He braced a hand on the arm chair, pushing into her again, his hand sliding down to the small of her back. Her arms came up around his neck and he ran his tongue across her lower lip.

She gave a little whimper when he shoved his tongue into her mouth, and Kane swore it was the sweetest fucking sound he'd ever heard in his life. His fist clenched tight to keep him from completely losing control. The voice returned,

 _Ah, listen, Lita never moaned like that for you. Not when she meant it. That pretty little throat makes such nice noises for you..._

Kane took advantage of the silence to explore his new wife's mouth. She was different, her body felt different. Her mouth was uncharted territory. He felt the voice in the pit of his stomach before it ever spoke.

 ** _YOU SHOULD RIP IT OUT._**

Kane dismissed the voice with great difficulty. Bracing his arm against the chair arm and tightening his hold on her, he stood from his chair. Freyja didn't fight, instictively wrapping her legs around his waist to help him keep her from falling like she already knew he was going to try to stand.

He walked over to the wall, fist still balled up in her beautiful hair to control her movement. He slammed her body into the wall and drive a knee up it between her legs to slide her a little higher, then using his hips to pin her there.

"You're willing to give yourself to me, just for revenge?" He asked, breaking away from her to lap at her throat, nibble on her collarbone, and bite down hard at the hollow of her neck. All Freyja could do was push out,

"Yes."

Kane worked his way back up to her face, expecting fear, but finding none there, to his suprise. Not a single trace of fear was in the young woman. He saw only anger, and need, like she was under some spell. He kissed her again, grinding his hardening cock aganst her still-clothed sex. He unraveled his hand from her tendrils of hair and placed it instead on her thigh, pushing up on the little black hoodie dress she'd worn, a calloused palm running tenderly across her soft skin.

Until she began to shake her head. "Kane," she said, but he ignored her and continued on. She shook her head again and pushed him away, reeling her head back to fill what little space the absence of his hand had created. "No, not here. Take me to the bed."

Kant thought for a moment to have her up against the wall anyway, why should he have to cater to her needs? He thought better of it though, this deal they were makeling would be sullied by her lack of consent. It wouldn't seal right if she didn't _want_ it. If she wanted it on the bed, fine, it was a simple enough request, easy to fullfill.

His free hand moved up to the back of her head again, bracing her to be tackled onto the cushioned surface. He set her down quickly but gently. His hand was still tight on her hair, but she didn't care about the control he needed. Her hands moved to the fastenings of his ivory button-down again, she'd never finished with all the buttons and her deft fingers worked hard at undressing him and a massive hand moved down her side, to her thigh to slide beneath the edge of her dress again, pushing it up past her waist. She bucked her hips up to make it easier for him to move the garment. Her hips brushed up against his groin, continually hardening in his dress pants and she heard his breath catch in his throat at he touch.

Finishing with his shirt, and getting tired of Kane's clumsy attempts to take the dress off without ever having to stop assault her mouth with his cursed lips, she pushed lightly on his chest, pushing the shirt down his shoulders so he'd get the hint. He shrugged it off quickly, giving her just enough time and space to pull the dress off over her own head.

 _So much bare skin. Skin to mark._ Something in Kanes head snarled at Freyja. _Pretty, blank skin for scars and bruises. Hurt her._

His fingers pressed into her skin, making little dents. He kept his hand moving to keep it from squeezing too tight, to keep it from bruising his partners skin.

Freyja was doing this for her own gain as much as his, he knew it, and he didn't much care. She had to open herself up for him. She needed it, a deal sealed with a kiss. Or, sealed with much more than that.

 _She's not Lita._ Someone else said. _Don't you hate her? For not being Lita?_

Kane ignored the voice. It was true, she wasn't Lita. Her mouth didn't move the same, her breast didn't feel the same, her neck didn't taste the same. She wasn't Lita, but he didn't _want_ her to be right now. He didn't want Lita anymore.

Kane never in his life felt sorrow. He hated it, and he was intent on drowning it. Lita had hurt him. He wanted her to feel the pain this woman promised. She would hurt Lita right back for him. And all he had to do, the only thing he had to do right now, was get hard. And he was already there.

It seemed to good to be true.

 _She's going to use you. Everyone does. Look at her, pawing at you like a cat. End her. You'll regret it if you don't._ Freyja's hands ran down his toned chest to his abdomen, and finally to his belt buckle to free his straining member. She barely knew him, but that didn't matter. She knew what he wanted from her and she wanted to give it. This was her time to show what she was willing to do for him. Her time to bind him to his word, _make_ him let her have Lita. It would be easy, if his hardening cock was any indication.

Kane wasn't paying attention to her. He was busy vainly attempting to banish the voices from his head.

 _You'd like that, wouldn't you? How much nicer she'd sound with your fist around her throat, gasping for air._

His hands kept roaming, feeling them come up to brush his fingertips against the side of her neck, he withdrew them quickly, too long in that area and he'd break her. He instead ran a palm over a soft breast and gave it a squeeze. Freyja arched her back up at his hand, and he rolled a sensitive nipple between his thumb and forefinger, rewarding him with a shuddering sigh, her eyes closed and she bit her lip, then opening her huge green eyes looking right into him.

He liked that response, but the voices did not. The room closed in on him as he heard over and over...

 _Do it._

 _She deserves it._

 _ **DO IT**._

"SHUT UP!" Kane roared from on top of his partner, eyes squeezing tight. He shook his head quickly and held still for a while until they voices finally and reluctantly went away. Only then did he risk cracking his eyes open.

Freyja was right in the middle of pushing his slacks and boxers down his hips, but she had stopped dead in her tracks, mouth agape, brow slightly furrowed.

"Uhm..." She breathed. "I didn't... say anything."

Kane sighed. "Not you!" he snapped.

After one more confused look from Freyja, she just nodded and thought better not to ask any questions. She resumed her chore, finally pushing his pants down far enough, his member snapped to attention.

She met his eyes, those mismatched eyes, and dared to grab hold of him and give him a few strokes to ensure he was ready. She took her thumb and rubbed it lightly over the head and watched him close his eyes tight. His fists had balled up in the sheets and he groaned desperately.

Having enough, her shoulders were pushed back on the bed and what little clothing she had was ripped away. Freyja didn't care for that bra, anyway. A large, meaty, hand grabbed tight to her forearms, pinning them above her head. He kicked off the slacks the rest of the way and positioned himself at her entrance.

Kane's free hand cupped her face. Her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed one final kiss to her lips, running his thumb over her bottom lip as he regarded her. "You're a very beautiful woman, Freyja." he told her. She blinked and held his hand to her cheek, she knew he was trying, anything he could to make this... normal, and a part of her was thankful he was, but she knew what this was really about. They both knew. _Nothing_ about this was normal.

"You don't have to do that, Kane." She smoothed, placing a kiss to his palm, emerald eyes half-lidded and gazing up at him enticingly.

He nodded, grateful, and finally, after far too much waiting, eased his cock inside her, filling her fully. Freyja gasped at the sensation and hooked her legs around his back. The was a dull ache there, and Freyja's thoughts started to scramble.

She wasn't a virgin, why did it _hurt?_ His body was too hot now, it happened when he got worked up, the fire inside him moving through his blood, it felt like she was fucking a space heater. Freyja's breath started to quicken, _it shouldn't hurt. Something's not right._ She panicked, and started to fight against him a little, she needed to get away, _now._ Something was wrong with him, or wrong with her, her thoughts raced but Kane's hands only clamped down harder on her wrists. A few deep breaths and he reeled in his body temperature, it was scaring the girl. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have minded her terror, but damnit, they were in the middle of business here.

"Shhhh, shhh," he soothed. "Hey, relax, it's not gonna hurt long." Freyja reluctantly held still, letting Kane take the lead, snapping his hips into her, he kept it relatively slow until he felt her relax, her trust pvercoming her fear. Slowly but surely, he had her gasping again, a feeling of victory washing over him.

He picked up his pace, keeping Freyja's hands pinned over her head. She didn't seem to mind either. She was determined to make the most out of what she was given.

And what a blessing he was. What an absolute specimen of a man. Freyja felt a small twinge of guilt for taking her pleasure in him, if only for her family's sake. She kicked herself for it, she shouldn't want him, because the whole reason she was here was because Lita made it happen. And she wasn't about to be grateful to Lita.

But Kane plowing her into the wood frame of the hotel bed had nothing to do with Lita. She told herself this because she had to, to keep herself from going mad. He hit her a little deeper this time, and another groan pushed out of her throat. She bit her lip and looked up at Kane again, grunting as he pushed in and out of her. She noticed his eyes weren't closed anymore. They stared right at her.

He tried vainly to hide the crazed look in his eye. Her loud-ass moaning was not helping the fact that his mind was trying so hard to convince him how fucking _good_ it would be to feel the life leave Freyja from beneath him.

 _ **Kill her.** That will show Lita to fuck with you. Oh, the guilt would eat her alive. Wouldn't that be wonderful?_

Kane slammed his fist into the headboard. Hard. The wood split with a loud crack and he growled a rare expletive, "Fuck!"

Freyja didn't ask any questions this time, and he was grateful for it. He didn't need to deal with stupid questions while he was trying to end it to get the voices to stop. He didn't want to hurt her. But he would end up doing so if this kept up, so he just sped up his pace. Of course, Freyja moaned out loud at the change of pace but was caught off guard by an exasperated Kane.

His sweaty palm clasped heavily over her mouth and he took a few slow, deep breaths. He seemed like he was at war with himself. When his eyes finally opened, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Freyja, look, I love how you're willing to let the _entire_ hotel know how good I am at this,"

He shoved himself as deep as he could go, resulting in a muted gasp from his new wife from under his hand. "But right now I just... really, _really_ , need you to shut up, okay?"

Freyja, eyes wide and caught quite by suprise, just nodded wordlessly. The only sound she made then was a soft pant but she swallowed her voice. Kane kept the hand over her mouth and Freyja felt like she was being kidnapped, like something was being stolen from her. She squeezed her eyes shut tight as she felt something building up deep inside her.

Kane kept going, almost done himself, when he felt Freyja start to tense around him. He finally withdrew his hand from her mouth, covering it with his own lips instead. He kept her mouth so busy with teeth and tongue she couldn't have made a noise if she wanted to. He finally pushed her over the edge with his tongue deep in her throat and his cock even deeper in her womanhood. Her back arched up toward him, her breath came ragged and irregular. He held her close as he started to follow, finally releasing himself inside her with a soft grunt, pleasure coursing through all his nerves, all the way down to his fingers. He pushed in a few more times for good measure, before collapsing on her, crushing her beneath his weight, unable to stay upright.

Freyja lay there for a few deep breaths, let him lay on top of her, placing an oddly affectionate kiss on his jaw. Kane laboriously got up, and eased himself off her. She just lay there for a second, staring at the ceiling, the truth of what she'd done finally crashing down on her with more weight than any dump truck could ever hope to lay on her. Her choice wieghed on her more than any 300 lbs of Kane could ever crush her with.

"Alright." Kane finally spoke to the stale hotel room air. "You can have your revenge." He flipped over, propping himself up on his elbows, torso over her once again. "I look forward to seeing you carry it out."

Freyja nodded, and plastered on a smirk. "Goodnight, Kane."


	10. Aftermath

She woke the next morning to a heavy, overwhelmingly hot arm cast over her torso. But, she was awake, and Edge was not. Now, she needed to remove it from her. His skin was too hot and she desperately needed a shower. Rolling her head to one side to see the man asleep on her shoulder, Lita sighed, she looked about the hotel room. Clothes and half-empty liquor bottles had been haphazardly thrown about the room. The truth of what she'd done, and why all the celebratory refuse littered the hotel suite, dawned on her as familiarly as the face of the lover that slept next to her.

Lita heaved a sigh, her reality was crushing. She'd really done it. She'd signed off on the damnation of someone else. _Oh, Lord, how she thought she was going to be sick._ Within her mind thoughts wandered without her consent. She could only imagine what horror Freyja had undergone at Kane's hands the evening before. Knowing what her, now-ex, husband was capable of, she brought her hands to her face, covering tears of guilt that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Somewhere in her tumult, Edge had awoken, arms outstretched creating space for her heaving body to fill. He held her close, kissed her head and rocked her back to sleep, much like a child. In honesty, it was what she needed right now. She let herself shake in his arms, while across town, a different kind of awakening was occurring.

Kane's arm was also cast across Freyja. Not so much in adoration but in an attempt to keep her put. She laughed, very silently, to herself. _What a wedding, indeed._

Weddings were supposed to be joyous occasions. Full of happiness and love. Instead, the evening before was a travesty. Full of anger, of fear, of sacrifice, on all facets. She looked at Kane's sleeping face, almost peaceful, and she looked at her own body, trapped by him, and she saw not two lovers.

She saw instead two sad, sorry assholes, determined to prove themselves to anyone who would listen. She was laser focused, almost hell-bent, on putting Lita down; and Kane, well, he was a recent divorcee intent on drowning his sorrow in someone who might begin to understand the feeling of utter betrayal, in the form of manhandling and vicious glares. _Whatever makes him feel better._

But now was no time for feelings. It was time for actions. The plan was coming together, in its own way. If there was one good thing to come out of the evening before it was the deal between her and Kane, iron-clad by the shackles of matrimony, a promise made by a friend, by Hurricane, and she knew he'd come through. Lita would pay, she'd be sure of it. And if she had to deal with Kane's domineering behavior every night for the rest of her life, she'd have it. Her determination triumphed over her creeping sense of disdain. But it was an odd mix of emotions, as she didn't resent the man beside her. _Not really_. It wasn't his fault, she reminded herself.

She struggled against his giant arm to rise, and even in his half-awake state, he easily pushed her back down to the bed. Freyja pushed on his arm, vainly, it didn't budge and Kane groaned like a teenager.

"Kane," Freyja huffed. "I need to get up."

The man grumbled again and turned over, freeing the young woman to retreat to the bathroom. Quickly she showered, and got herself put together. Exiting the bathroom she found him sitting up in the bed finally, eyes blinking to adjust to the once-dark room; so, a slow waker, and not a morning person. The young woman couldn't say she was surprised. Freyja started to pick up her discarded clothing items, throwing them in her bag and pulling out a new outfit.

She had her back turned, but she knew Kane was watching her. She dressed quickly, not wanting to leave herself vulnerable to his eyes any longer than she had to, though, they were pretty much past that point by now. Bed creaking under his shifting weight, Kane's arms stretched wide as he took his time getting out of bed. He had every right to, they didn't have anywhere to be. On a normal Tuesday morning, they'd have some sort of appearance to make, but the show managers probably thought it best not to disturb the beast and his new bride.

"Where'd you get that scar?" was the first thing Kane said all morning other than "unnnhghhg", and his voice was gravelly with sleep. Freyja tried not to look surprised, peering over her shoulder at the long pink line on her lower back and hip.

She walked over to the dresser, where she kept her phone and flipped it open, _eighteen_ missed calls from her mother, and 10 voicemails. Two from Hurricane, who only left one. "Back home, I used to Swanton dive off the Chickenhouse like Jeff does but... well, you can tell I never quite got the hang of it." She laughed nervously.

Kane huffed and took his turn to shower and dress. Freyja listened to the 10 frantic voicemails in Euskara from her mother, asking, ' _What on earth are you thinking?!'_ and _'You should have gotten help'_ and ' _You should have come home._ '

Freyja dialed up the call back number, knowing the long distance call was going to cost her dearly, but, what kind of daughter would she be if she said her _Ama's_ peace of mind wasn't worth it? The phone rang just twice before an answer.

 _"Hello?"_

" _Ama, it's me._ "

Freyja heard some clattering and a heavy gasp before the lecture started in, _"Freyja Katixa, what in God's name?! There had to be some other way."_

 _"There wasn't."_ Freyja replied. _"I'm sorry but, Andone thought of everything. It's ironclad."_

 _"Psh, and we all see what a good job Andone did of protecting you."_ Ynga muttered.

" _Hey!"_ Freyja snapped. _"He's doing his best, ma. And don't worry about me, okay? Kane's not gonna hurt me, I have a plan, it'll all be okay. Okay?"_

 _"You're a smart girl, Freyja."_ Her mother relented with a sigh. _"But I fear for you."_

Freyja smiled, unsure. Her mom was half-right, though she hated to admit it. Freyja had an idea for a plan, but not much of one, and Kane was... well, _complicated_. She wanted to explain, but this was about to turn into a $20 phone call.

 _"I have to go."_ She dismissed. _"Love you, ma."_

" _I love you too, maitea, please be careful."_

Freyja hung up the phone as Kane reentered the room, his nostrils flared and staring her down with no small amount of intensity. He'd heard the conversation and the indecipherable language, he asked with hostility, "Who were you talking to?"

"My mom." Freyja explained, readying the next message, from Hurricane. She barely registered that Kane had completely crossed the room to where she stood in what seemed to be only two strides. His hand came around to the back of her neck while he grimaced at her,

"Last time my wife told me she was on the phone with a "family member", _you happened._ " He snarled. "So I don't believe you." Freyja lay a hand on Kane's forearm, trying to soothe him out of his borderline rage. She showed him the number on the phone.

"That's it, look." Freyja held the phone aloft, feeling his grip start to relax ever so slightly. "Spanish phone number. Even if I _had_ a boyfriend in Hegoalde, you really think I'd let him waste his money on a plane ticket to get all his teeth knocked out by you?"

The woman's hands began to push at his arm, trying to get away. "My mom saw what everyone saw," Kane closed his free hand around both wrists easily, making the struggling Freyja drop her cell phone on the carpeted floor. "How I have to spend the rest of my natural life with you. Of _course_ she's worried."

The man stared her down evenly, looking for the lie in her face, and when he couldn't find one, released her roughly, almost jerking her back away from him. Freyja huffed and rubbed at the back of her neck, kneeling to retrieve her phone. She retreated to the far corner, hopefully if he lost his shit again it would give her room to fight him off. She clicked through to the voicemail Shane had left her, put it up to her ear, watching Kane out of the corner of her eye, get dressed with such force she was surprised he didn't rip his clothing and staring at her intensely.

 _"Hey, Citizen Freyja! It's me, ah, you know who it is. Remember last night you told me to round up some friends? I got them, just need to know what your plans are uhm..." Hurricane faltered a bit. "I think some of us are going to breakfast at the Denny's across the street from my hotel. Would love it if you came, uhhh... mostly to make sure you haven't been murdered. Okay bye!"_

Freyja deleted the message and hung up with a sigh. She looked over to Kane, fiddling with his boot. She flipped the phone closed and leaned her back against the wall, shoving it in her back pocket.

"They thought I was gonna kill you?" Kane pressed. He'd heard everything, and his face kept turning brighter and brighter red. She wasn't sure if he was angry, or who at, and she didn't much care at this point.

Freyja put the phone away and sat on the edge of the bed with her new husband. She though best to skirt around the original question. "Well, you wanna go to breakfast?"

Kane scoffed. "No."

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you later then." Freyja shrugged, standing from the edge of the bed and moving to grab her room key. A large hand flew to the back of her head and tightened in her hair, and she was yanked toward Kane without warning. Freyja struggled against him at the rough treatment, a small cry escaping her lips, but Kane would not be moved. The young woman stumbled back into him, Kane narrowly kept her from smacking her head on the corner of the headboard, but he kept his grip, his other hand wrapped around her waist as she wriggled about trying to free herself.

"You're not going _anywhere_." He snarled into her ear. "Don't forget that I _own you now_." His face got right up close to Freyja's, his hot breath brushing against her cheek. Kane turned her head towards him, so she could look in his eyes as he pressed a kiss to her unwanting lips. There was no affection, only aggression, Freyja had no choice but to concede, and hope his display would be over soon. She let herself melt into him, some unspoken promise that she wouldn't just run away.

"Kane." Freyja's voice shook after he'd burned off his steam with the searing kiss, and his hand's death-grip on her hair had loosened. Her hand ventured down to the one of Kane's that held her by her waist. She felt him tense, but he didn't move. "My friends are just worried."

"Well, they should be." He snapped, "And we aren't going."

"Hurricane got people who are willing to help us bring Lita down!" Freyja argued further, straining against his hand to peck at his cheek. "That's why I need to go. Kane, please just relax."

Kane closed his eyes, turning away for a moment to slow his breathing. He _hated_ when people told him to relax. However, if Freyja was only going to help serve Lita her just desserts, he hated to admit that was important. Not just to his wife but to him as well. In all honesty, he just didn't want to get fucked over again. He took his time thinking about it, Freyja quite uncomfortably trapped in his grasp. She leaned her head against his shoulder from where she was, thinking it better to just get comfortable and let the man think.

Kane's eyes jerked down, only to see Freyja staring straight ahead, almost.. shut down. This wasn't right. She was supposed to hate him, she was supposed to be scared. But, she seemed _determined_ to get in league with him. He stared her down, that grimace on his face, until he, surprisingly, let go of her. _"Fine_." he said. "But I'm not going, so get the hell out of here, then."

In honesty, it was probably a damn good thing he wouldn't go, better to leave the man alone. Freyja rubbed the back of her head, made a little sore by his grasp. Freyja sighed, and nodded her head slowly. She grabbed her room key, and purse, calling a taxi to come get her. Kane didn't say another word, only shooting glances at her every once in a while. He could stare all he wanted.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The cab pulled up to a dilapidated looking Denny's in the parking lot of a strip-mall. Wasn't exactly a high quality establishment, but hey, they had food and Freyja hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours. The hustle and bustle of any regular day was enough to distract her, but yesterday was a whole different ball game. Leaping out of the taxi and paying the driver, Freyja strolled into the restaurant, which was almost empty save for a rowdy bunch of men and one very, very familiar young woman.

"Citizen Freyja!" Hurricane called, motioning her over to an empty chair at his side. She smiled in greeting, and strolled over to the table to get a better look at her "army". Hurricane, of course, Big Show, RVD and... Trish?

"It's good to see you... looking well." Hurricane chose his words carefully and snapped her back to the conversation at hand. "Where's your beau?"

Freyja smirked at the nomenclature. "I don't think I have to tell you how much he hates people."

The whole table shrugged and nodded in agreement. It was a fair enough assessment of the Big Red Monster.

"So," Rob started up, "Shall we talk strategy?"

Freyja was the only one to tilt her head in confusion. "Strategy? This is a gang fight we don't need a strategy."

"Of course we do!" Trish corrected. "If you just go after her, it'll all be over in a week."

Freyja looked around at the table, brow furrowed, the explanation made zero sense to her. "That's... the opposite of a problem?!"

Big Show started laughing at her, shaking his head and hiding his reddening face from the rest of the group. The waitress came by and set a glass of water down before Freyja, taking the groups orders quickly and soon retreating once more.

"I don't..." Freyja faltered, after the waitress left again, "I still don't see why I can't just take a baseball bat to her in the parking lot."

"Oh, you _can,_ just not yet. Maybe that's how they do things in the 'old country', but what we do here requires a bit more... flair." Shane explained, taking a sip of his coffee and trying to ignore the table-wide utterance of _'Whoooo'_ , and stay on track.

"It takes build up," Trish went on. "Vince loves having us at each others' throats just... not the way normal people are. You fuck Lita up right away?" Trish pursed her lips. "Big boss won't be happy."

Freyja nodded, slowly, understanding with some more clarity. "So... I need theatrics."

Rob threw his arms wide open. "Exactly! And we all agree that this little episode with Lita was WAY out of bounds. So, are we an army that suits your desires, madammmme?" he slurred the end of his speech like a member of the English aristocracy, forcing a small smile from Freyja.

"I'd say so, you're all tough, strong, good wrestlers, but..." Freyja's attention turned to Stratus. " _You_ surprise me, Trish."

The blonde shrugged, fiddling with her coffee cup. "What can I say? I hate Lita... I mean, of course I hate Kane too but... it seems like people are starting to pick sides and... I hate Lita _more_. The only reason Kane ever came after me was because Lita asked him to."

Freyja nodded, she knew well what it was like to have Kane turned on her by Lita. She grasped her own glass, redirecting her attention. "Well, it's settled then." She held her water aloft in a toast. "To causing a ruckus!"

She was met with a chorus of 'hear, hear', and Freyja Kutlass finally had an army.


	11. Smoke

Kane huffed out a long breath, crossing one foot over his knee and looking out at the Milwaukee skyline. He ashed the Newport, bringing it up to his lips again, he took another regretful drag. He hadn't smoked in years, and all it took was just a little bit of stress and suddenly he was off the wagon. To be fair, this qualified as more than a _little bit of stress._

He heard the door click open from the balcony, ashing the cigarette and hearing his wife set her handbag on the dresser and reset a few peices of furniture. He'd left the door cracked open, and he heard it creak farther as Freyja slipped out into the late summer heat with him. She'd been gone a long time and he should be angry, but he couldn't even bring himself to care at this point. He'd burned off all his steam at the hotel gym and trashing the hotel room. It didn't matter, he had the money to pay for it, and it felt _good_ to wreck someone else's shit.

She didn't say hello. She didn't ask about the trashed hotel room and he didn't offer an explanation. She said,

"You smoke?" she lowered herself onto the patio chair next to him.

"Not since 1987." he replied.

She held her hand out, looking at him and studying his faced. He seemed calm, at this moment anyway, almost at peace. For now. He even handed over the cigarette. She put it up to her lips and breathed in deep. She herself hadn't smoked since she was a teenager. It was strong. And cheap.

Freyja wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but she couldn't stop herself. "How old _were_ you in 1987, anyway?"

Kane took it again. "20."

Freyja's turn again. He heard her puff, and mutter, " _Jesus Christ._ "

"Hm?" He hummed as she handed back the smoke, he had a feeling he knew where this was going.

Freyja laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I was _7._ "

In return her husband took a drag so long it burned right down to the filter. Kane flicked it into the ashtray with a groaned, " _Fuck._ "

He knew he was older, but _damn,_ he was an _adult_ by the time she'd learned to 'Swanton off the chickenhouse' or whatever. The man shook his head vigorously. He didn't want to think about it.

"You were out late." He remarked. She'd left in the morning and now, it was the late afternoon.

"Yeah, I-" Freyja stuttered nervously, she was pretty sure he was going to freak out again. "I went to meet Hurricane's little posse, and then I figured I should go ahead and get the rest of my stuff and check out of my hotel, no sense in paying for two rooms. But then Andy found me and made me train, which is probably for the better, and I would have told you but I actually have no idea how to get ahold of you so I-" Freyja's anxious rambling was interrupted by Kane throwing his phone into her lap, while he dug for another cigarette.

"Whatever, just don't let it _fucking_ happen again." He grumbled, not interested in her excuses. Freyja picked it up to put his number in her phone, resisting the urge to remark that she was suprised he even _had_ one.

 _Don't be an idiot, Freyja, he's a working man in 2006, of course he has a cell phone._

"So, what about this plan?" He pressed.

Freyja finished programming Kane's number in her phone and turned her body towards him, taking a deep breath to start in.

"Well, we uh, are planning on announcing that we're going after Lita next RAW, but the guys decided we needed to draw it out a bit... few weeks maybe."

Kane cocked an eyebrow, "Why can't you just take a baseball bat to her in the parking lot?"

Freyja laughed, and for once she seemed at ease. She relaxed a bit, turning to face him entirely. "You know, I asked the same question, and they said we needed _theatrics_."

Kane gave an amused huff, letting Freyja snatch the Newport from his mouth. "Theatrics are overrated."

"Right?" Freyja took a drag and leaned over the table between them to put the cigarette directly back in Kane's mouth, forcing herself to relax a bit. "But, Hurricane's been in the business for longer than I have. I trust him."

They stayed like that, for at least a half hour. Freyja had _so many_ ideas. In all honesty, he was going to have _fun_ terrorizing his ex-wife before going in for the kill.

It was almost normal.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Lights flashed, cameras reeled around the ring. It wasn't the right time the week before. No match for Kane, only a Highlight Reel segment, an outright disastrous one.

 _Like a 4th grader in the bedroom._ Pfft. At least Freyja knew _that_ one wasn't true. Her husband was tense, ready for a fight, she could tell. But there wasn't any reason to be. He'd make quick work of Viscera, and soon she'd have the mic in _her_ hand. Ready to announce their intentions, Freyja was itching to get out there. The first indication the young woman received that she'd been bouncing on her heels was Kane's hand set on top of her head. Just his palm covered the entire top of her head. _God, sometime she forgot how massive he was._

"You're annoying me." He hissed.

Freyja stopped bouncing. Viscera already stood in the ring, ready to throw down. Freyja's own personal Monster was more than ready to return the favor. The time was fast approaching, and Freyja looked up at her husband, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"United front?" She blinked up at him.

His eyes darted down to her hopeful face, his grip tightening ever so slightly when his music ticked on, pushing her forward.

The crowd cheered at the sound of.Lane's guitar riff. It was pretty much their only option after damn near booing the roof off the place at Viscera's entrance. She came out with him to fire and fury, walked confidently by his side as the world blazed around them. They were angry, and who could blame them? The roar of the crowd almost drowned the announcer as he cried,

"Accompanied by Freyja Kutlass, Kaaaannnne!"

The WWE Universe must have latched onto them as the "new underdogs", Freyja was expecting booing just by virtue of being seen with the Big Red Monster. Maybe he was right, she really _didn't_ know how this industry worked. Kane let Freyja ascend the steps before him, so she could turn around and be on almost even ground with her monster husband. Kane approached her, trying not to act too suprised when she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in close. Their lips met, sounds of disgust and approval mixing in the crowd.

On the other end, Lita saw that the cameraman rushed to get a good shot. Freyja had noticed, too, and made sure to make it _very obvious_ that tongue had been involved. When the newlyweds finally broke away, Kane gave Freyja his evil sneer, using the pad of his thumb to smooth her bottom lip. The young woman continued up the stairs, smirking directly at the camera. She knew Lita was watching, and Lita knew that luttle spectacle was for her. Sitting up on top of the top rope, she let her weight hold it down for Kane. Hell, it's the best she can do to hold the ropes open for someone who can just swing a leg over the top.

He did so, and the two giants in the ring circled each other, ready for a fight, while Freyja took her spit at the corner of the ring. The bell rang, and the two men proceeded to go out it.

Freyja was astonished to watch two people so large battling it out. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it, the size, the power. They exchanged blows heavier than she could even imagine and she made herself a mental not to no piss Kane off.

Kane had done some serious shit in his life, and although she wasn't sure if spousal abuse was one, she never intended to find out.

Viscera had Kane beaten back to the corner turnbuckle, his body getting laid into by the fists of his giant opponent. He needed help, but would she have the balls to interfere?

Yes. Yes she would. People needed to know that she wasn't going to take this whole Kane thing lying down. Well, she _had_ , but that was a different thing entirely. Viscera was really doing a number on her hisband, and like any self-respecting wife, she climbed up to the apron, removed one shoe, threw it full force at her Kane's opponents head, bouncing out of the ring befor anyone saw. The projectile hit its mark with a hollow _Thwack!_ and the man reeled about with great speed to find the one responsible. He whirled around so quickly, in fact, that his lumbering form collided with the ref and the smaller man stumbled backwards. The referee's cranuim collided with the corner turnbuckle, dazing him for a few minutes.

Freyja dropped from the apron as Viscera came for her, ready to make her pay for throwing her shoe at him. Quickly, the young woman located a steel chair and slid it over to where Kane sat, still getting himself together. He felt something tap the corner of his boot. He saw first the chair, then the unconsiou ref, and finally, Freyja taking a few steps from the ring as a gargantuan traveled towards her with nothing good in mind. The Demon connected the dots quickly, and like lightning he shot up, chair in hand, and bashed it against the back of Viscera's skull with such force that the seat dented, send his adversary over the ropes, and down to the ground below at Freyja's feat. Thenewlyweds shared a wicked grin, if only for the show of it.

Her husband got down out of the ring, the ref shouting out counts for the fighters to get back in the ring. Before picking up the unconsious Viscera, Kane stepped up on top of his body, holding out a hand for Freyja to do the same, fisting a hand in her hair and kissing her aggressively and they stood on top of the massive man, a silent signal to all who would try to stand in their way _exactly_ where they'd end up.

When the show was over and Kane running out of time, he finally threw Viscera back to the ring for the pin. Freyja slipped into the ring, skirting around the paramedics come to drag the out-cold Viscera from the ring. The youg woman lifted her husbands hand, his triumphant smirk drawing cheers from the crowd. They broke the rules, they _should_ be getting booed, but if they were doing bad guy shit with righteous fury, that apperently made it okay. She motioned for a mic, and all but snatched it out of the stagehands paws, govong him a knowing wink.

"So I'm sure you all heard about what happened two weeks ago..." The crowd erupted in boos, remembering, of course, the Wedding From Hell 2.0. "How Lita signed, sealed, and delivered my fate with a bogus marraige contract and empty promises." The young woman circled the ring, never getting more than an arms length from Kane, even at times letting fingers brish over his exposed skin, still hot and slick with sweat from the fight.

"But I'm here to tell everone that if you thing that I'm just going to take this like its nothing, if you think Kane is going to take this. You're _dead_ _wrong_.

"I will _not_ be your sacrificial lamb, not your pitiable victim, not your... cautionary tale. No! _I_ decide who I am. And if anyone is going to try to make me a vcitim of Kane's? Im telling you I _flat. Out. Refuse_. I am not a victim of Kane's. I think we all know who is the _real_ villan here." The WWE universe set in on their chants and cheers. They knew who was responsible for this.

"You see, Kane and I? We've come to an agreement about this whole debacle. It isn't my fault. It isn't his fault. This is all _Lita_ _._ And we are angry. And who can blame us? We want revenge, and we want a lot of it. It's time to pay the piper, Lita will regret the day she ever chose _me_ to fill her shoes, I'll make sure of it. Lita, Edge, we are coming." Freyja turned towards the ramp, and a cameraman the shot up at her from below. She felt Kane press up against her back, heavy hands on either shoulder. Her finger came up to point at the camera. "And we are coming _for you._ "

The crowd cried for blood, the newly weds came to the ropes. Kane held the ropes open for Freyja, which was a _nice touch_ she must admit. She returned the favor and let him jump down first. He caught her as she jumped down, they played the part of the united front every minute.

And the theatrics were working.


	12. Theives

Backstage was quiet as a graveyard. Lita had watched the whole speech on the monitor in shock.

 _It wasn't supposed to happen this way._

Freyja wasn't supposed to declare war on her, she wasn't supposed to make _nice_ with the Devil, she wan't supposed to fight back. She was supposed to be the new, easy prey, the one who'd go quietly, the one who'd fade at the will of Lita's ex-husband.

Color Lita surprised.

The redhead shook her head slowly, "Wow." was all she could breathe out.

"Oh, relax!" Edge laughed easily. "What the hell could they possibly do?"

Lita smiled up at him, reassured. He was right, they couldn't do anything. As long as Lita kept out of the ring with her, and stayed protected in the arenas, Freyja couldn't do shit to her. Not unless she wanted the police involved. And hell, the last thing Freyja needed in her current situation was to end up in jail. Lita wpuld come to find that Freyja had much more entertaining things in mind.

Her boyfriend clasped her on the shoulder, "C'mon, let's go back to the hotel. I happen to know what'll get your mind off all this Freyja business..."

Lita chuckled, turning to her love, to wrap her arms around his waist. "Oh? Hm, and what is that, exactly?"

"Psh, well, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?" The young man shot back, jerking himself from Lita's grasp and making for the door.

"Hey!" His girlfriend protested playfully and chased after him. Down the corridor she ran, finally catching up to him and grasping at a toned arm. She stumbled, finally finding the balance to walk alongside him, interlacing her fingers with his and gazing up at his face. But his expression held something other than adoration. His jaw was clenched, staring straight ahead, every muscle in his body had tensed, regardless of how he tried to mask it.

Gazing down the hall, Freyja and Kane sauntered towards them. This was the way to the locker rooms, after all, and it was also the only way out of the particular part of the backstage area Edge and Lita had taken up residence. They were going to have to pass, to retreat would be to be cornered like mice.

Freyja smirked at the two approaching. She knew what was on their minds. _The demon and his bride come to assault their_ _sensibilities_. No, Lita was unaware that tonight wasn't about "straightforward".

Still, Edge clutched Lita tighter and Kane placed a guiding hand on his young wife's shoulder, a silent warning not to engage. As they neared, the tension in the air was palpable. Lita's eyes were trained on Kane, trying to mask her fear. Edge felt a little bad that he chose to leave when he did, they should have waited until the Demon and Lita's new worst nightmare were long gone. He knew how Lita was fearless, able to handle anything but Kane? She was _terrified_ of Kane.

Edge was more concerned with Freyja. Rage just seemed to radiate off her tiny frame, and it was all ready for Lita, when the time was right.

But the time was not right.

The two women made eye contact, and time seemed to slow. Everything throttled back and all eyes were on the two women in the nearly empty hallway. Freyja held Lita's gaze, walking like she was moving through water, any moment ready to break from Kane's grasp.

But she never did. The most Lita got was a scoff as they passed, Kane pushing her forward to avoid extending this encounter. Time sped back up, and Lita's sigh of relief was audible, and after that, the only sound that could be heard was the heavy footsteps of the two couples. Edge relaxed, but neither of them said a word about it. The arena felt unbearably heavy still, and Lita was never happier than when they finally exited to the parking garage.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Big Show set the catalytic converter on the locker room bench. The gang was all here, and he had to admit he was pretty proud of his quick work. Freyja smiled the widest smile he'd ever seen, eyeing the engine part.

"Great job!" She commended from her spot near her seated husband, his arm thrown about her possessively, like a child with a toy. She was half-leaning on him, half standing. "They're going to be in for quite a shock when they get to the car."

Show chuckled, "Guess I'm glad for all those summers I spent at the auto body shop as a kid now." he joked.

"Wait, wait, hold up!" Hurricane interjected, "You didn't tell me this was the plan?!"

"I'm sure you can understand why not." Kane taunted, fingers playing with the hem of Freyja's shirt. She tried to bat his hand away, to no avail until eventually she gave up.

"I said I'd help you, Freyja but, theft and illegal property damage? What's up with that?" Shane's arms crossed indignantly.

"Hurricane," Trish held up her hands at the man, approaching him in his incredulity. "Doesn't vigilante justice require you to bend the rules sometimes? Think, like, Batman! Right?"

Trish was, of course, in support of any and all horrible things the team could possibly do to Lita. And it wouldn't do to lose a team member already. Hurricane looked thoroughly unconvinced, but simply un-crossed his arms and did a little grumble instead of walking out the door.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, guys, we can't afford to pussy out just because we stole a cheap car part." Freyja piped up, smiling, thuroughly pleased with herself. "Lita deserved it, she did. And the only thing out of this whole debacle that I'm going to take laying down... is Kane."

The team's brows furrowed in confusion at Freyja's declaration, then realization, then disgust. A chorus of "Ohh, Freyja!"s and "Don't be gross"s rang out in the otherwise empty locker room while Freyja cackled at the innuendo. This went on until Kane's nerves got the better of him, Lita might be bursting through that door at any moment, looking for her catalytic converter, and here they were joking around with the damn thing in plain sight.

"Rob," Kane barked, and the whole room, including Freyja jumped a little bit, he hadn't said a single word since walking in backstage. "Get rid of that thing. Before someone comes looking for it."

"Oh, uh... yeah, okay. Hand it here," The man in question held his hand out for the part, but Show retracted, grabbing it for himself.

"These are worth money, I think we should sell it."

"Maybe, oh, here's a thought!" Hurricane interrupted, "Let's give it back, eh? Eh? Ow!" The green-clad young man doubled over after a sharp elbow from Trish.

"I don't care _what_ you do with it!" Kane snapped. Freyja could tell he was losing his temper and she swore she felt his skin get hotter. "Just get the fucking thing out of here!"

RVD and Big Show held their hands up, backing away slowly, "Alright, alright okay..." they said almost in unison, leaving the room. Shane continued to hold his ribcage, playing up the dramatics and inadvertently asking for an apology from Stratus. He didn't get one, instead getting grabbed by the arm and dragged towards the door with her admonishing him.

"Oh, you big baby, lets go get you some ice." The young woman reached for the door handle, rolling her eyes, but before she could open it, it swung wide quickly. The first person Lita saw was Trish, and she immediately jumped on her with a fierce,

"Where is she?!"

Trish remained silent, eyebrows raised, until Lita's eyes found Freyja on their own. On the bench, she sat on one of Kane's legs, her own legs crossed daintily as his fingers twisted in her hair. Both of the pair stared hole straight into the redhead, as Trish slipped out with the Hurricane and Edge came stumbling shortly after his girlfriend.

"Alright, where the hell is it?" The older woman demanded, only to get even more worked up when Freyja tilted her head, brow furrowed, seeming confused.

"The fucking car part, you bitch, out with it!" Lita fumed, each second the couple's smirking faces driving her further into a rage.

"Catalytic converter's a very commonly stolen vehicle part." Freyja tilted her head innocently, "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"I never said it was the catalytic converter!" Lita announced, to which Freyja only smiled and blinked innocently. "Do you think I'm stupid?! After you just announced I've got a target on my back, suddenly we start up the rental and it makes some god-awful noise and we find out and entire piece of the engine is MISSING?" Lita flung her arms out wide, livid at Freyja's nonchalant attitude.

"Come on, Lita, you know what kind of man Kane is, you _really_ think we'd waste our time fucking with your car?" Freyja smoothed, her voice so sweet and soft it made Lita's teeth hurt. She stood from her perch on his knee, and he followed soon after, looming behind her like her own personal body guard.

"This isn't over!" Lita spat fire at Freyja, who smirked and was moved to the side by a large, rough hand, one that soon after came to grasp Lita's chin, and all right in front of Edge.

"You're right, this _isn't_ over." He sneered, barely getting the sentence out before his hand was batted away roughly by the tall blonde Canuck.

"Hey!" He snapped at the older man. "Don't fucking touch my girlfriend!"

The Big Red Monster stood back up to his full height, staring down the other man with immeasurable intensity. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want and you're welcome tell me what _you're_ going to do about it." he snarled.

"You want to see what I'm gonna do about it?" Edge puffed up his chest, taking a step towards the taller man, despite Lita's plea of,

"Babe, don't..."

"Well? Kane raised his eyebrows, looking his adversary up and down, smirking with condescension at his balled up fists. "I'm waiting."

"No." Edge backed down a bit, succumbing to the soothing hand his girlfriend had placed on his forearm. Now was not the time, Kane was trying to get him worked up, and he wasn't in the mood to give the man the satisfaction. "Not here. I'll see you in the _ring_ next week."

Kane scoffed. "Great. See you next week then. Come on, Freyja." he ordered.

Freyja was happy to concede, but only after biting at Lita, "My husbands going to _wipe the floor_ with your little boyfriend. Hope you bought the insurance on the rental."

The WWE's newest couple laughed an almost downright-evil laugh as they exited the locker room. Lita let out an exasperated sigh.

"You're really going to get in the ring with him?" She couldn't believe it, he gave in to Kane's goading so easily.

"No man touches you and gets away with it! Especially not him!" Edge snapped, cooling off when he saw Lita draw back a little. "Look, I'm sorry. But I can't back down now."

His hand cupped her cheek reassuringly. "I gotta protect you, babe."

Lita nodded her head. "I know."

"Hey," he laughed nervously, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Still need a distraction?!"


	13. Clarity

_**She's taking advantage of you.**_

Kane shooed the voice away as he watched Freyja saunter into the hotel room and turn to sit, not on the bed or a chair but a table. She eyed Kane a little nervously. He was awkward the whole ride back, well, more than usual. Wordlessly, he slipped into the bathroom and shut the door, in a few moments the sound of hot water bursting through the faucet came through the cracks in the door.

She flipped open her phone, scrolling through her contacts, and shooting a quick text to Andone.

 _How's your night off?_

She loved her uncle to death, but she also knew him, and she knew he'd have never allowed it if he'd come to RAW with her. So he got a very welcome night off... for her own benefit. Her phone dinged softly, and she picked it back up to check it.

 _I saw RAW. It's a bad idea, Freyja._

She shook her head, there it was. This wasn't about whether this was a good or bad idea, this was about _retribution_. Lita deserved her just desserts, and Freyja would serve them to her.

 _Just trust me._

She managed to type it out as the water shut off, and soon out walked Kane, skin still glistening from the hot water, steam seeming to come off him and a burst of vapor poured lazily out of the bathroom door. He was naked, save for a towel held barely closed around his hips. It certainly didn't leave much to the imagination. Freyja couldn't help but look. Her husband was an absolute bastard, but he was a bastard with a good body. She didn't want to say she had a soft spot for him, his broken heart, his possessiveness, she banished the thoughts.

"Like what you see?" he taunted maliciously, catching her eyes raking him like he was a slab of meat. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at him like _that_. She looked away, face turning a little red.

Freyja was a puzzle. Thrown at him like a sack of garbage, she was supposed to be afraid of him. _**Make her afraid. You're a monster**_. She didn't seem to be afraid, she blushed like a school girl for being caught looking at him. Her hard, tough demeanor dropping. She seemed to be struggling, he knew just as well as she did that she shouldn't want to look at him. She should be disgusted. She should hate him. But she didn't, or, she didn't seem to. _**It's a show. She's trying to control you with those sweet looks. Show her what happens when someone uses you.**_

No, that wasn't it. He was sure of it. It was almost cute the way she averted her eyes when she was noticed. Hell, even he could feel her shell exterior breaking down for him. It was indeed fun to watch her wrestle with herself.

"No need to look away, Freyja." At the mention of her name she looked up at Kane, looking almost a little shocked at his tone. "I'm your husband. You can look if you want." he teased.

Freyja looked away again, almost angry at his jeering tone. He was enjoying this, he thought it was _funny_ how she was at war with herself. "Hardly my husband. I still don't know that much about you..." she mumbled.

A large free hand gripped her chin, jerking her chin back to look him in the eyes. "Knowing me has nothing to do with the way you were looking at me."

Freyja was silent, she just stared up at him, mouth agape, not quite believing what he'd just said to her. Was he really hinting that...? No, he couldn't possibly be...

"I'll have you again." he said simply, it wasn't a question.

"Who said _I'll_ have _you_?" Freyja fired back.

 ** _She's playing with you. She's taunting the monster._**

"Save your mind games for Lita, Freyja. Do I need to remind you that I _own_ you? You belong to me!" Kane felt his voice start to raise, and moved towards her. His felt his face heat up at her insubordinate, but Freyja continued to look up at him not with fear, but defiance.

"You have to earn me." she smacked his hand away and stood up from the table edge. "You think I belong to you, and bow to your desire just because you pissed off your ex-wife? You don't own _shit_."

Her words were poison, but something about her tone said she was trying to convince herself more than anything.

 ** _She's goading you on purpose. She doesn't believe you own her. Prove it_**. Most of the time he tried not to listen to the voices, but this one may have been on to something. He could see her eyes daring, almost begging for his action.

"Bullshit. You have five seconds to tell me no. And if you do not, I am _taking_ what's _mine_." Kane snarled.

"One..."

Freyja backed up into the table's edge again, butterflies in her stomach threatened to flutter up into her throat. She knew she was tempting fate.

"Two... Three..."

Even with all the theatrics, Freyja was starting to give up on denying herself something as simple as taking pleasure in her 'prize'. Last time was good, but she was shocked to admit to herself that she wanted more.

"Four..."

The young woman pressed her thighs together, knowing she was playing a very dangerous game with her Demonic husband. Her eyes challenged him with each moment that passed.

"Five."

Not even a millisecond past uttering the number he dropped the towel, turned her roughly around, shoving her torso down to the table surface so hard she had to put her hands out to catch herself from smacking her face on the wood. Before she could push herself back up, Kane had pressed himself up against her, his full weight on her and pinning her body to the table, his feet kicked her legs apart to get as close to her as possible.

"I went easy on you last time." Kane growled in her ear, the sound traveling down her spine.

"You were nicer than I expected." she teased, her soft laughter cut short by a huge fist in her hair jerking her head back and exposing her neck to hungry lips.

"This time I'm taking you the way, I want."

"Who said I want you to?" Freyja breathed, taunting the demon. She was surprised and almost ashamed at how _arousing_ this was, this little game she'd started. She was terrified, but she couldn't deny it was getting hot in the room.

Kane had already gotten the hint, he knew exactly what was happening here. It was something he'd always wanted with Lita, but she didn't like it rough. She wanted a lover, tender like Matt, but Kane didn't know tenderness and he never had. Judging by the way Freyja sighed from beneath his grip as he bit down on her pulse point, Freyja didn't want tenderness. He should be so lucky. His free hand slipped down to her hip, forcing itself between her skin and her jeans, slipping under her underwear and he dipped his middle finger inside her pussy. Hot, tight, and so, so wet.

"Your body betrays you, little girl." He brought his hand up, showing off his soaked middle finger to her and pushing it past her lips, forcing her to suck it clean.

"Fuck you." She moaned around his finger, her own taste mingling with her words, eyes closed.

"Shut up." He growled and drug her back up to stand and turned her around to face him again, hands cradling her head, keeping her rooted firmly in her spot and forcing her to look up at him. He laughed at her, that wicked little laugh he always did, the one that Lita hated so much.

It was the laugh of a man who knew he had his prey cornered. With his hands wrapped fully around her head and jaw, with her having nowhere to look but his wicked face, he snarled, "The safe word is _'mercy_ '."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"You know this doesn't mean I love you, right?" Freyja whispered, hands folded on Kane's chest, chin resting on the little platform they made. It had been a good 30 minutes of them lying there in silence, after Kane had fucked her from about every position possible. His fingers lazily traced little patterns on her back, and this was the first thing either of them had said in that 30 minute time span.

"It doesn't make everything magically okay." She managed to force out, even though her throat was still a little gravelly. Her neck still hurt from the choking.

"I know." he deadpanned. He didn't want her to love him. He didn't care if their physical closeness didn't make things okay. As long as she was here and willing to execute his will, she could feel however she wanted. That's what he told himself. After another brief moment of silence he chuckled at her, "The sex is good, though."

"Yeah, at least there's that." Freyja laughed, and relaxed a little bit. "What are you gonna do about Edge next week?"

"I could lay Edge out any day of the week. I'm not _worried_ about Edge." Kane gave a little chuckle, the soft 'heh heh heh' he always did, and his young wife smirked up at him from her spot laid fully on his chest.

"Can I come out with you?" Freyja propped herself up on her forearms to look at her husband. "I want to if Lita comes out with Edge."

"You're asking my _permission_? I don't care what you do." Kane was a bit confused, Freyja shouldn't care what he thought. But, he did like control, and the fact she was even willing to give that to him made him wonder if, 'I don't care.' was a good enough answer.

Freyja nodded and said nothing else after that. She didn't love Kane, but at least she knew she could get used to him.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Edge paced the ring, heart racing, that silly bastard wouldn't _dare_ even _look_ at Lita after tonight, he'd make sure of it. Of course Kane was mad about the whole thing, in all honesty Edge didn't blame him for being angry at his ex-wife, but property damage was another thing, and touching his girlfriend was worse. It was unacceptable. And so he waited with baited breath for the Devil's favorite demon to walk down that ramp to his doom.

 _Speak of the devil_ , Edge thought as WWE's newest couple sauntered down the ramp, looking ready for blood. The look on their faces was _exactly_ why he told Lita she shouldn't come out. Freyja looked a bit dissapointed at the lack of redhead at ringside as she held the top rope down for her monstrous husband.

Announcements made, fighters in their corners, bells rang, the two men circled each other. Going in, Edge found himself face to face with the Demon, who sidestepped easily and threw the younger man into the turnbuckle like he was no heavier that a paperweight. His forehead collided with the lightly padded clip, and he turned right away in time to raise his foot and let Kane run into it.

Kane doubled over slightly at the boot he just ran into. Edge was a man possessed, going straight in for his signature Edgecution, but was shoved off easily by an even more possessed Kane. Moving the blonde back into the corner, he got a few good shots in before the ref moved him away.

The men continued this way, the blows exchanged heavy and fierce, Kane almost constantly keeping the upper hand, until finally Edge's last submission got locked in even in his compromised state. The Canuck was like an angry pitbull, jaw clenched, nothing would unhook him.

"Touch Lita again and _I'll kill you_." Edge snarled, Kane's legs wrapped awkwardly around his, fighting against the struggling giant.

" _Ahhh_! Screw... you..." Kane bit back through gritted teeth, trying for all he was worth to get to the bottom rope.

Edge walked Kane back again to the center, sitting back farther to add to the strain. "You can tap out now, bastard."

Kane just groaned, eyes finding Freyja, her eyes holding that rage that was always there, focus, and... worry?

 ** _No, she's not worried about you. Who worries about a Monster?_**

Kane wouldn't tap out. He. Would. Not. Do. It. He'd refrain. If he tapped out, he'd look weak. Especially after he'd beaten his opponent silly and he could still be tapped out? No. It wasn't acceptable, unless...

 _Snap!_ Something in his knee gave way, and the panic started to set in. It hurt. More than anything he'd felt in his life. And it burned. He moaned in pain. Edge felt it, too, and the human part of him hoped Kane would tap out soon. The animal part of him refused to let go even as he felt his opponents knee snap. The human part only wanted to hurt him, not end his career, the animal part didn't care.

Finally, with needles shooting up his leg and blinded by pain, Kane tapped. He felt like his hand wasn't his own, every part of his mind rebelled against the tapping of his hand against the mat but it did anyway. As if he was on autopilot, he tapped and the bell rang. Kane rolled to the side holding his knee. Freyja rounded the corner, calling after him,

"Are you okay? Kane?"

"I'm fine!" Kane snapped. But he'd make Edge _pay._

Once a sense other than pain returned to the Big Red Monster, he saw Edge celebrating his earned victory. Ignoring the knives sticking in his knee, Kane slowly got up and limped up behind his opponent, to the surprise of Edge, who turned around to a beatdown.

Kane didn't care if he was injured, he didn't care if never walked again. He should have won that match, and he didn't need a leg to beat the shit out of Edge.. So, maybe he'd lost the battle but he was about to win the war. As Kane wailed on Edge, Lita ran out and down the ramp, only to be stopped by Freyja, standing right between the barrier opening. The older woman stopped in her tracks, backing up a bit, eyes fixed on her poor boyfriend, help up by his hair in the center of the ring like his head was a trophy amongst cheers from the Draconian crowd. Freyja's fists flexed open and closed, smirking knowingly at the veteran before her. Lita kept a close eye on her, but was more interested in the Blonde in the ring.

He was unceremoniously dropped, and Freyja's attention was turned back to Kane, who rolled beneath the bottom rope to exit, and stumbled unsteadily on his right leg as his feet hit the ground. Leaving Lita to tend to her now-broken man, Freyja went back to help prop up the monster she'd been forced to marry, helping him ascend the ramp. Kane had lost, and he'd have to recover, but the message was still out there.

 _Lita was gonna pay for what she'd done. Anyone who associated with her wasn't safe._


	14. Healing

Lita swung the sledgehammer again with a grunt, breaking off a few more chips of concrete. What a lovely parting gift from Freyja before her time off. The little bitch had encased Lita's duffel bag in _concrete._

"Say what you want about Freyja," Edge groaned over the loud ping of the sledgehammer. "At least she's creative."

God Bless HHH for lending them these hammers to chip away at the rock hard concrete blob that once was Lita's stuff.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking about her right now." the redhead growled. Setting the hammer head-down momentarily, and leaning on the handle, she asked, panting, "Edge?"

"Yeah babe?" he looked up from his labor.

"Should I give it to her?"

Edge froze, looking at his beloved girlfriend, a struggle in her eyes. She was in turmoil, she had been since all this started. Of course, Freyja, among all this torment insisted that if she got a match it would all stop. It wasn't as if Lita believed her, but it was worth a try, right?

"Do you want to?" Edge asked in his surprise.

"I- I don't know, I- whats to say if I do give her a match shes not just going to go in with a knife or something? I just want it to stop, Edge. I don't deserve this, all I wanted was a way out. Away from Kane. You have no idea what it was _like_... " Lita trailed off, beginning to breakdown a little. It was true, she only wanted to distance herself from the husband she had hated, who had hated her, away from a miserable existence. She was however, aware that in doing so, she had tipped the happiness from another. What could she do but give her the match to make it right?

She was so numb with the conflict in her mind she hadn't even noticed Edge wrapping his strong, long arms around her smaller frame. "I know baby, I know. It's hard."

Lita let it all loose, Edge stroking her auburn hair and shushing her cries. When finally she slowed, he grabbed her by the shoulders and stooped down to her eye level. "Listen, you do whatever you need to do when Freyja gets back. I'll be right behind you. I'll support whatever you decide, okay?"

Lita nodded, wiping the running mascara from under her eyes. "Okay."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Six to Eight weeks, that was what the doctor said anyway. It wasn't the ACL, but it wasn't pretty.

Freyja was, regretfully, been given six weeks as well, to help take care of her husband as if they couldn't afford a nurse. She was fast discovering she may be the only person that could put up with Kane's moods. Sadly, she had to leave the tormenting to their posse for the moment.

Kane house was a bit of a surprise. One would have thought he'd live in some run-down serial killer shack in the middle of nowhere. But when Freyja finally arrived at his door with him, she saw not a moldy shack, but a regular, perfectly normal, if not a bit upscale three bedroom condo.

The first few weeks, Kane was absolutely insufferable. It was as if he didn't know the meaning of rest. By the fourth week she'd finally got him convinced to walk with the crutch like he'd been told to. She had to lock the door to the training room, and by the fifth week, he'd broken the lock pounding on the door.

One day in week 6, she'd finally gotten Kane to sit down of an evening, and in a grand display of forward thinking, parked herself cross-legged on his lap.

"Freyja, let me up," Kane groaned.

"No." Freyja responded, keeping herself right where she was, until Kane jerked her back by her hair, where she could see his face.

"What do you mean 'no'?" He spat. She was his woman, no shouldn't be in her vocabulary.

"I _mean_ ," the young woman twisted around, ignoring the pain and pulling at her roots so she could straddle his lap. One long finger poked her husband in the chest. "No. You're going to sit with me, and let your knee rest and heal."

Who did she think she was? Ordering him around like this? But her body was warm, and she had since stopped poking him and laid her hand flat on his chest. He didn't understand it, why she was so determined to take care of him, but he didn't really care, his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

Freyja rested her cheek on her husbands massive shoulder. She could feel his heartbeat slow through his t-shirt. She raised from her spot, hands on either shoulder and looked at Kane's face. He'd since tilted his head back, eyes closed, he looked at peace, as his tortured soul rarely let him look, and she felt herself smile against her better judgement.

The Monster peeked at her from half lidded eyes. "What?"

Freyja wiped the smile off her face and shook her head and started to move to get up. "Nothing. Let me go make some dinner."

Kane's arms gripped her tighter, forcing hr to settle back into him. "Not yet. Stay."

Freyja set her head back on his toned chest, but this was too normal. They weren't _supposed_ to be normal. They weren't _supposed_ to be content. They were Freyja and Kane, thrown together unwillingly, angry, vengeful. Not embracing on the couch in a house like a married couple. She thought about getting up, even if it was a struggle, but she knew he'd easily over power her.

Instead she reflected on this while in his arms. Maybe she'd gotten too close to Kane, she'd tried too hard to work with him. She'd shown him a side of her that wanted his aggression. Now he actually wanted her around, wanted her to stay.

By God, what had she gotten herself into?

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Just a little more... there." Freyja ordered and Show set the gas tank on the ground in the garage.

"Kane's gonna be pissed when he finds out you're setting things on fire without him." Big Show teased, and Freyja just laughed.

"Yeah, but it's not like he can chase me." she joked back. The man had been ordered not to preform while his knee healed. His stubborn attitude and complete lack of self preservation meant it still needed time. "Six to eight weeks is what the doctor said, and he's pissed he has to miss this pay-per-view. But, we'll burn this in his honor, eh?"

Freyja winked at Show and dug in her pocket for a lighter, turning to face the interested camera man that began trotting towards the young woman and the gasoline-soaked effigy wearing an auburn wig. It was tacky and tawdry, but it would be fun to watch go up in flames. It wasn't the most outlandish thing she and her posse had done over the past several weeks. But, this was Kane's last week of recovery, and she wanted to make sure she'd done something grandiose before her husbands re-entrance, and she'd continue to terrorize and vandalize until she got what she wanted.

All she wanted was Lita in the ring.

As Edge went down for the three count in that steel cage, the camera flicked onto Freyja, standing before the wooden stick figure, a messy face drawn on a gasoline-soaked volleyball. This one was actually Hurricane's idea, which was easy to tell, due to the lack of property damage that was involved. She said nothing, only smirking. As she flipped on the Zippo, her finger lifted up to point at the camera, making it clear that even in Kane's absence, Freyja still had her eyes on the prize.

The camera flipped off, and the effigy was put out. Freyja grabbed the head off the stick statue and help it up towards show, making a face, tongue out.

"Now, last order of business? Sticking this piece of shit in the bitch's duffel bag!" Freyja cackled, as if Lita's poor duffel bag hadn't been through enough.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Okay. I'm sure you all know why I'm out here." Lita stood center-ring, the RAW after Unforgiven. "But for those of you who don't recall, let have a look!"

The titantron flipped on, footage from last night reeling, the flames, the smirks, the pointing. Not to mention a clip of Lita finding the charred volleyball, her panicked screams echoed loud through the speaker system, sending off a roar through the crowd. The cameras back on Lita, she shook her head.

"Enough is enough." The redhead told the crowd, and turned to the entrance. "Freyja! Get out here and lets talk about this like adults!"

The familiar entrance music blared from the speakers and the chocolate-haired Basque woman strolled out to the ramp, mic in hand, manager trailing behind her. The young woman gazed out toward the ring smugly, her enemy pacing as if her feet were on fire, but she said nothing.

"Freyja, for the past two months you and your little posse have been terrorizing the rest of the roster. It has to end. What more do you want? I already said I was sorry. If its a title shot you want, that can be arranged. You want an annulment? Go right ahead! I don't care what you do with Kane." The older woman began to turn red in the face, forgetting to breathe for a moment. As she stopped to catch her breath, she saw Freyja at the top of the ramp shaking her head.

"Lita, Lita, Lita," she tsked. "You already know what I want. You already know that I don't care if you're sorry, I'm not interested in the title and I have no use for an annulment. Your little contract made sure of that. So, if I have to stay married to Kane, I thought I'd have a little fun. Lita, you know the only think I want, the only thing that will make all this stop? Is you," Freyja pointed a finger right at Lita. "In that ring, with me, so I can make you pay for what you did."

The crowd roared. For the last two months all that could be talked about was Kane and Freyja versus Edge and Lita.

"You know what? Fine." Lita relented. "Fine! I'll let you have your match."

"Great! You just tell me when. And I'm there." Freyja took a step towards the ring. "You wanna go right now?"

The crowd roared it's approval, wanting to watch these two ladies draw blood finally, after months.

"Let me finish!" Lita stopped the rookie in her tracks. The crows 'oohed' with curiosity. "I'll give you your match, if you can go toe to toe with a champion of _my_ choosing, and _win_."

The WWE Universe erupted, so much so it was all Freyja could hear. She lifted the mic, about to say no, she wanted Lita, only Lita, but she dropped it again and turned to Andone, leaning over to her uncle. The muttering in Euskara could barely be heard through the hot mic still in Freyja's hand.

 _"What do you think, Andone?"_

Andy sighed, looking his young niece in the eye. "I've tried to tell you, Freyja, none of it is a good idea."

Freyja rolled her emerald eyes. "Andone..."

 _"But!"_ her manager cut her off. _"You want this. More than I've seen you want anything. If this is the only way you'll get it, I say go for it."_

Freyja beamed, nodding quickly and clasping her uncle on the shoulder. The young woman turned to Lita, raising the mic to her lips she uttered, "Done."

"Next week, then." Lita agreed.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"What the fuck were you thinking?"

It was the first set of words Kane said to his wife when she came through the doors to the backstage. He'd be allowed back next week

"I'm thinking I'm going to get my shot." Freyja dismissed, not looking at Kane.

"And you agreed without even asking me first?" Kane's voice started to raise and he stood from his spot on the bench adjacent the door she'd come through. Freyja stood her ground, unswayed.

"Oh, yeah, that'll make me look like a strong contender. 'Hold on, Lita, let me go backstage and ask Kane real quick'. Hell no! That's stupid, and it would make us look weak. I can handle any woman on this roster, let Lita throw whoever she wants at me."

"I'll have to agree with Freyja here, Kane, it-" Andone was cut short with a stare sharper than a razor blade from Kane.

"What's stupid is you agreeing at the drop of a hat! Freyja, she didn't even specify a gender. What if its someone like Viscera, someone like me?" Kane argued. She was going to fuck up everything they'd worked for with her knee-jerk reaction to agree to Lita's offer.

 _Shit._ She thought, she hadn't thought of that. Trying to cover up she said, "She'd never pick you-"

"That's not the point!" Kane roared, beginning to draw the attention of quite the crowd.

"I can handle it, Kane." Freyja pushed back. Why did he even care?

Kane roared in frustration, turning his fist on the drywall behind him. He took a few breaths, letting himself get back to the point where he could talk. "You know what? Fine, go on and get yourself killed out there, _I don't care_." He leaned down, grabbing a firm hold of her face with one hand, palm covering the entire underside of her chin and then some, fingers digging into her cheeks. He bent down low to look in her defiant eyes, snarling, "But if you end up having bitten off more than you can chew, don't expect _me_ to bail you out."


	15. The Road to Hell

Kane had come to ringside, against his better judgement. He wasn't going to bail her out, he told himself, but the least he could do was come to ringside with her. The crowd was inconsolable, vibrating with suspense. Who did Lita choose? Who was Freyja going to have to face to get to Lita? Time would only tell.

Kane watched his wife pace impatiently in the ring, motioning for a mic after a full minute of silence.

"Well?" The young Basque yelped impatiently. "I'm waiting. Let's see this 'Champion' of yours." Still silence. "COME ON!"

As if on cue, the stadium went black, dark as night, Kanes heart skipped a beat and Freyja laughed. Over the sound of the gong ringing through the stunned stadium, he swore he could hear his wife losing it in the ring. A familiar organ riff thundered through the floor and overhead as Kane watched his brother make his way down the ramp at the expected pace: torturously slow.

She should be running screaming, but all Freyja did was laugh. She had to be the only person, ever, to be amused at the presence of the Phenom. It was then that Kane discovered his wife's complete lack of any sense of self-preservation. The Deadman was coming, he was coming for _her,_ and she _laughed in his face_.

"Really? Lita chose you?" Freyja laughed, circling The Undertaker who now stood center-ring, all seven feet of him poised for a fight. He'd make quick work of this tiny woman, it almost wasn't worth the sacrifice Lita had made. "Really Lita? You're going to sicc the Undertaker on me like he's some sort of _dog_? Ha! How does it feel to be _used_ , big guy?"

Taker took a silent step towards her. She wasn't saying anything he hadn't thought of before, but now that he saw his brother's new wife in the flesh? This bitch was crazy and needed to be stopped. "She brought you out here to scare me didn't she? She brought you out here because she doesn't want to face the truth of what she's done and she _knows_ I can't get through you. Everyone knows that _I can't beat you_."

Freyja finished her lap around The Deadman, finally standing before his unwavering face. Her last words, before dropping the mic, in the stunned silence of the arena were,

"But I'm sure as hell going to try."

That bell rang, and the fight was on. Kane couldn't possibly stand by, whatever he told her last week be damned, this was now, and this was no regular match. It was survival. He made to climb in the ring, but Freyja, who'd narrowly avoided Taker's grasping hands yelled, "No, Kane!"

She didn't need him, not right now anyway. The Undertaker lumbered towards her again, this time she had the room to baseball-slide right under and in between his legs, wasting no time leaping into the air and drop-kicking him square in the back. She fell upon the ground front first, flipping over quickly to watch as her brother-in-law stumbled toward the ropes. As he regained his balance, his eyes met Kane's, who looked like he was 2 seconds from losing it. He turned to Freyja, who was paying more attention to standing back up than she was to him.

Now was his chance, he moved for her again, his hands coming to her neck, an obvious go to for the Phenom. Without warning, Freyja's knee came up behind her, her hands grabbed his wrists and pulled out with all her might as her head and body dipped low, barely twisting out of his grasp. Her foot extended up over her head, kicking him in the upper abdomen. The girl was basically doing the damned splits in the air as her foot flicked up, like a scorpion tail. As everyone was still trying to process just what the fuck they saw, she dipped under his arm.

She had to stay out of his reach. But, in a ring this size, the only way to stay out of the reach of someone who was seven feet tall was to stay behind them, and that's exactly what she planned to do. Kane watched as his wife lept up, climbing his brother's back like he was a tree, one leg hooking around his waist and under the other, arms running around his neck to pull into a rear naked choke, desperately trying to get any sort of leverage on his much larger frame. It was all in vain, for all the Deadman did was stand there, hoping she'd wear herself out eventually. This 'submission' just felt like wearing a too-tight turtleneck and a backpack.

She wasn't letting go, however, she wasn't giving up. He went through his options, and ultimately just fell backwards. It was enough to knock the wind right out of her, and loosen her up although she refused to let go. Kane started to step into the ring and was again stayed by Freyja as she rasped, "Don't, Kane!" from beneath his brother.

Taker sat up, coming to his knees he hooked a long arm behind him and separated their bodies further, throwing Freyja over his shoulder to the waiting ground. Her backed arched and she looked at him, gasping for air. He threw his body over hers and went for the pin.

1...

2...

And a kickout at 2. Some people just didn't know when to quit. Freyja's legs went around his torso once more, attempting a quick head-arm triangle which was quickly dispatched and she was thrown down again.

Kane was showing an unimaginable level of restraint. This was no regular match, she was going to get killed out there. He couldn't lose her.

Freyja managed to squirm out of another pin and watched as her doom drew closer yet again. This man was throwing her around like a rag doll. She was in _way_ out of her depth. She tried to dodge again, but her throat was caught in a large and surprisingly quick hand. She grasped hard at his wrist and pulled away to keep some space between his strong palm and her airway.

Kane didn't care about what he'd said, he didn't care that Freyja refused his help. He couldn't watch anymore. Leaping into the ring, he stole his wife from his brothers hands and right there in the middle of the ring, choke-slammed her _himself._

And the winner of the match, by disqualification... was Freyja Kutlass.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Are you talking yet?" Kane snapped, annoyed. He'd been getting the cold shoulder from Freyja since the match. He could tell she was livid about his interference. He didn't care.

"Are you going to apologize for interfering in my match?" Freyja turned to her husband as they walked through the hotel room door.

"No! I'm not apologizing for shit! It was for your own good." He slammed the key card on the dresser. "And now you won, and you get your shot at Lita. Everyone's happy."

"Maybe you don't always know whats best, Kane!" Freyja shot back, obviously upset. She'd bottled her anger for two whole hours and now it was all coming out at once.

"I do this time! You have _no idea_ what my brother is capable of. I don't know how Lita got him to do this, but I just _saved_ you." Kane's voice began to raise.

"I didn't want to be saved! What happened to 'not bailing me out', huh?"

"I wasn't going to let you get hurt. Not the way you would have if I hadn't intervened."

Freyja's hands grabbed at her hair in frustration. "Oh, my God, you aren't listening to me at all."

"Oh, I'm listening all right." Kane laughed bitterly, nearing his wife and taking a firm hold of her chin. "You don't trust me, you don't think I know what I'm doing, but you know what? I've been doing this a lot longer than you have. You just some silly, stupid little girl so hell-bent on revenge you can't see straight. When you're too busy looking forward, you forget to watch your back."

"Oh," Emerald eyes narrowed at the gargantuan before them. She shoved Kane back with impressive force, "And you're just a sad divorcee trying to project your fantasy of normality onto me. Well, guess what, Kane? You might be my husband, but I never _asked_ for you, and it's not my fault that _Lita didn't want you."_

In all the years since he started speaking again, Kane had never been left speechless. He drew back a bit, cogs turning in his brain to decipher exactly what his wife had just said to him. It didn't take him long to come back to planet Earth.

"Now, hold on one Goddamn second-" He said, taking another step toward Freyja.

"No! I'm done talking about this."

By the time Kane had a chance to yell after her, she was out the door, and as he hung his head out the door to exclaim, "Freyja, get back here!" She'd turned the corner down the hallway. He felt eyes on him, and he turned to see Hurricane, who'd witnessed their little domestic, mouth slightly open.

Kane snarled, "What the fuck are you looking at?!" with such ferocity the young man dropped his ice bucket, letting it make a dull clatter on the carpeted hallway floor.

Freyja burst out to the night outside the hotel. They were in Kansas City, and it was late enough in the summer that the crispness of fall was just barely turning the nights a little crisp. Freyja breathed out a sigh of relief, and let the temperate air dry the tears that threatened to fall.

"Geez, girl." An all-too-familiar voice called from the shadows. "You look like you could use a drink."

Freyja rolled her eyes, "I'm not drinking with you, Edge."

"A bit of trouble in paradise there, bud?" He pressed, trying to goad a response from the young woman.

"It's not really any of your business." Freyja retorted, wiping her tears from her eyes, hoping the veil of night and the poor lighting outside the hotel would help mask them. "In case you haven't noticed, we're enemies, remember?"

"No, nah nah nah," Edge shook his head, clearly he'd already had a few. "Kane's my enemy. Lita is yours. _I like you_." He turned around, dug around in his tiny cooler, ice rattling in the plastic bin. He popped open a beer and held it out in her direction. "Now, come on. Have a seat."

"I don't drink beer." She excused, taking a tentative step toward him.

"You'll like this one, trust me. A Canadian Original!"

Freyja tentatively took the bottle from Edge's hand, tired of arguing, but she picked it up by the bottle neck with two fingers, like a dead animal or a stinky sock. She rounded his legs to sit on the other side of him on the bench he'd perched on, inspecting the little ship on the bottle label.

"So, where's your little girlfriend?" Freyja taunted, readying herself to take a swig of the Canuck's swill.

"Inside, she didn't feel like coming out." He dismissed, giving Freyja and expectant look as she threw back a mouthful of the beer.

"Tastes like grass..." Freyja admitted and handed back the bottle glibly. "Tastes like... lawn."

"Well, maybe this is more your speed," he conceded, digging through his pocket to reveal a little silver container. Freyja took the flask and un-screwed the top, giving it's contents a cautious sniff.

 _Straight Everclear._

Lord, this boy was ready to die. Freyja shrugged, taking a much too large swig from the flask.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on there chief!" Edge exclaimed, snatching the flask away and cradling it like a baby. "What's got you out here drinking like you wanna drown, anyway?"

Freyja shrugged. Of all the people she'd consider taking relationship advice from, Edge was not on that list. "Shouldn't even be out here with you."

"Why not?" He slurred, "I'm great company!"

"You aren't exactly known for being an upstanding citizen." The young woman took the flask back and took another small sip, letting the bitterness burn away her troubles.

"You're getting quite the reputation yourself, pal." Edge retorted.

"You already stole one of Kane's wives," Freyja looked up at the quarter moon, talking more to herself than to her new drinking buddy, "And he already doesn't trust me."

"Oh, so this is about _Kane_?" The man spat her husbands name out like a bad taste in his mouth, an apple with worms inside.

"I never said that!" Freyja defended, shifting away from Edge. She'd said too much, it was time to withdraw.

"Oh, but it is, isn't it?" He pressed. "Why do you care what that monster thinks of you, anyway?"

Freyja tossed back another mouthful. "I don't." she said dryly.

"You wouldn't be out here drinking yourself to death with _my_ liquor if you didn't care." Edge scoffed. "So why do you? Lita never did."

Freyja snickered bitterly, "Oh, that's great, Lita never cared. Let me take a page from her book. Because Lita never cared and _look what happened_. Look what happened to Kane, to me, to Lita... don't pretend it hasn't affected you, too."

"Nothing happened to Kane." her partner argued. "He was a Monster before all this, and he still is."

The young woman shook her head slowly, voice coming in almost a whisper. "I think we've all become monsters now."

Edge looked away pensively before saying, "Well, I oughtta go, I'm toeing the 'public intoxication' line." As he made to stand, Freyja held the flask up, trying to hand it back to him, but he pushed it back toward her. "Keep it. I think you need it more than I do."

Freyja wasn't going to argue.

Kane had settled into the lobby, having picked out some tome so he could pretend to read and not be bothered. He needed to get out of that damn hotel room. So there he sat, pretending to thumb through the book he'd picked out, trying to ignore the sound of someone flop in the chair next to him. Until he heard the chair next to him say,

"Shit!"

He looked up, attention now diverted, and saw none other than his own ex-wife, already lept up and ready to run.

"I- I'm sorry," she faltered nervously, "I just, I didn't recognize you there- I- " She trailed off, fear turning to interest as Kane's attentive face changed from confusion to apathy, his head shook almost imperceptibly, eyes blinked incredulously.

He should give her a hard time, he just didn't have the energy for it. He didn't care why Lita was here, and if doing nothing made her leave quicker, fine. But Lita stayed, tilted her head to the side,

"You don't _read_."

"I do when I want to be left alone." He replied, hoping she'd get the hint.

Lita did, of course, she hated to admit she was familiar with his changeable moods. She smiled insincerely, raising her eyebrows and making to take her leave. As she did so, Kane thought better of it.

"Lita, wait-" he called after her, and to his surprise, she turned around, looking at him expectantly. It was something he'd been wondering in the back of his mind all evening. "I'm... not going to say anything about who you chose for your 'Champion', Freyja's the talker out of the two of us but... I have to ask how? _How_ did you get me brother to help you?"

Lita shifted, looking away from Kane, breathing out a sigh before clenching her jaw.

"You _didn't._ " Kane knew he shouldn't care, Lita wasn't his wife anymore, but how stupid could she _be_? "You _did_ , didn't you?"

Lita looked angrily back at her ex-husband, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't tell anyone, Kane. Please."

"I won't. I don't care, it's your soul, do whatever you want with it but Christ, Lita, was it _really_ that important to you?" Kane asked, almost incredulously.

Lita's brow furrowed, her face turning red. "You know what, Kane? Of all people, _you_ don't get to judge me for this. Or for anything." She spat, turning on her heels and storming off.

Kane was left in stunned silence, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Wow," was all he whispered to himself. He tried go back to pretending to read, but he couldn't even focus on that. Slamming the book shut in frustration, he put it away and went in search of the only person that could possibly ease this Freyja situation.

Kane's knuckles rapped on the black painted door, it would lead to a room he knew was Andone's. No answer.

"Andone, open up!" He told the wood door. After no answer he thought, _Maybe he can't hear me._

Kane looked down the hall left, right, no one around. Good. The giant lay himself on the ground before Andone's door, whispering loudly through the cracks. "Andone! I need to talk to you!"

"What the hell are you doing?" A heavily accented baritone queried from behind the wrestler. Kane turned around, eyes finding Andy, head tilted to the side, ice bucket in hand, brow furrowed.

Kane stood faster than Andone had ever seen anyone move, "Looking for you." he excused lamely.

"... Why?" The older man's confusion was apparent.

Kane's gaze shot either way down the hallway, then back to his wife's uncle, "Can we go in?"

Andone eyed Kane suspiciously, this behavior quite odd. "Ehh... sure, sure, come on in."

 **What will Kane and Andone talk about? Stay tuned to find out! (I had to split this chapter into two chapters because it was long as fuuuuuuuck)**


	16. Settle

Freyja stayed outside for a long time. She should have grabbed a jacket, but the grain alcohol was keeping her warm enough. She was trying to figure Kane out, it didn't make any sense to her. He went back on his word, and when he said he wouldn't. But he did, and all because she was in danger?

Were all his words empty like that? Was there a reason he did it? How could he possibly care?

Her reverie was disturbed by the uneven padding of feet on concrete rounding the hotel, as none other than Matt Hardy stumbled over to the bench coming from God-knows-where.

"Hey." Matt came up to her side and taking a seat, flask of his own in hand. His shirt was halfway undone, hair disheveled and he reeked of liquor.

Freyja nodded in his direction and turned her body a little towards him.

"I heard about what happened. With you, and Lita... and Kane." Matt pushed out his name like it was sour milk. He said shakily, "I'm sorry."

"Everyone knows about what happened with me and Lita." She replied curtly. Freyja looked in Matt Hardy's eyes and saw pity. She hated when people looked at her like that, for no other reason than having to be with Kane. He pitied her and she didn't want it. She replied, "No need to apologize. It's not your fault."

"If I had the chance to warn you to stay away from her I would have told you." Matt explained, still making excuses for something he didn't need to.

"Matt, it's not your fault." Freyja reiterated.

"It's just not fair... it's not fair." Matt went on in his drunken frenzy, more to himself than Freyja. "She just cheats... all the time. I know that now, and you know that, even Kane knows that now..."

Freyja turned away, she couldn't face him like this. It was true, they'd all been cheated, and she hated it. But what she hated more was the pity. She wasn't going to be a victim, she'd made that clear. Why wouldn't anyone _listen_?

"She cheats at life, and she cheats at love, she cheated me, and she cheated you. Hell, she even cheated Kane, and Edge doesn't know it but one day she'll cheat him too, and-"

"Matt?" Freyja interrupted his rambling, blinking back tears of her own. He was right. He was so painfully, unbelievably _right_. His words struck the young Basque to her very unstable core. After ensuring he was quiet, and listening, she continued, voice shaking. "Please shut up."

He sniffed, "Okay."

Freyja reached over and placed her hand on top of his, a comforting gesture. He turned his cold, shaking palm over and squeezed. The two remained that way, in their mutual heartbreak, looking at the moon in silence.

"So, are you going to tell me what you want or are you going to stare holes in me all evening?" Andone set a little, steaming styrofoam cup down on the endtable next to Kane's chair and took his own seat, not next to Kane, but in the desk chair adjacent. He rolled over to the window and cracked it open, digging in his pocket for a cigarette and his matchbox.

"It's about Freyja." Kane said, taking a regretful sip of coffee that was way too strong. Andone must be trying to kill him.

"She's pissed." Andone stated bluntly, getting right to the point of Kane's visit. "And you two had a fight."

"How did you know?"

Andone laughed. "I know my own hot-headed niece and," The older man rapped his knuckles on the white wall behind him. "The walls are thin."

Kane rolled his eyes. "You talked to Shane, didn't you?"

"I may have." Andone admitted with a smirk.

"How do I make her be un-pissed?" Kane pressed, like that was a simple answer.

Andy shrugged, "You're an adult, Kane. Maybe try talking to your wife."

"I did!" The larger man leaned forward in the chair. "She said I don't listen."

"Exactly!" Andone exclaimed, puffing out a breath of smoke through the window crack. "Look, I've known Freyja a long time. Maybe try talking to her instead of at her."

He was talking to her. It didn't seem to do any good. Kane shook his head. He gulped down the rest of the piping-hot coffee, ignoring the scalds it earned him on his throat. He slammed the feeble styrofoam down on the wooden table. "You aren't telling me anything I haven't already thought of, Andone."

"I am only telling you what I know." The older man said, gazing at his nephew-in-law evenly, watching his frustration grow before the older man's very eyes.

Kane grunted, unhappy with the non-answer he'd just received. He stood quickly, "Thanks for your help." he spat, in a way that made Andone believe he wasn't being thanked for his help at all.

The giant stormed out of the room, leaving Andone alone to take another drag of his cigarette alone. As he exhaled again he chuckled and shook his head,

 _Kids._ He thought.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Freyja should have torn a hole in the carpet by now, she'd picked at it nervously, waiting for Kane's return. Hearing loud, heavy footsteps coming down the hallway, Freyja looked up from the patterned plushy nightmare beneath her. She saw Kane, in all his so-called glory. His height, his bald head, that bulbous nose, those twisted lips and he looked... confused.

"You... came back?" He asked, digging in his pocket for his key card without looking.

"It's what people do after they argue." Freyja braced herself against the wall to stand. "They make up."

Kane ignored her as he made for the door latch.

"Also: You have both key cards." Freyja prodded her angry demon husband. Kane only shook his head. These Basques were something else, teasing monsters as a hobby.

Kane unlocked the door and ushered his wife inside. Saying nothing, he crossed the room to the bed side, removing the shoes he never even got a chance to take off before their little spat. Freyja began slipping off her own shoes and her jacket.

"The Lita comment was uncalled for." She all but whispered to the deafening silence of the hotel room. "I'm sorry."

Kane nodded silently, starting on removing his shirt after his boots had been taken care of. Andone's words echoed in his mind Talk to her. "I know you're upset that I interfered in your match tonight. But I'm not sorry." Kane couldn't stop the next words from coming out, "I did it for you."

Freyja was very, very quiet for a very long time before finally admitting, "Okay."

She flopped back on 'her side' of the bed, staring at ceiling before he lay back on his.

"You reek of liquor." He observed.

Freyja shifted, he heard rustling from her side and looked out of the corner of his eye to see what she was getting. He saw a metallic flash of silver as cold tin hit his abdomen. He grasped whatever she'd thrust upon him and inspected a large but unassuming flask.

"Copped that off your worst enemy." She explained.

Edge. Kane grimaced, "I'm not drinking out of this." He assured Freyja, who rolled her eyes and retreated to the other side of the room to lob a plastic cup at him. The Demon took it, pouring what was left of the contents of the flask into the cup. He shot it back quickly, not expecting 190 proof of clear liquor to try to force it's way down his throat. He gagged, bringing the cup to eye level and gasping, "Holy fuck."

"Yeah, I guess he goes pretty hard." Freyja dismissed.

"I'll say." Kane steeled himself for the next mouthful, knowing now that what the flask contained was only one step above gasoline. He drank it back with great willpower.

Freyja settled back into the bed next to him, she had recovered a bit from her excursion, and could see clearly for the first time in two full hours. Kane rolled to face her and for for just one moment, all they did was look at one another, like two cats trying to size each other up.

"So," Kane's hand snaked up to the curve of his wife's body. "What's this you say about 'making up'?"

Freyja bit her lip, squirming a little closer to her husband. "Well, I thought we could talk about each others feelings and rent a chick flick unless you had something else in mind." She said, a bit apprehensive. She wasn't usually one to forgive this easy, but something about Kane made her weak.

He chuckled, moving in for a kiss, and she let him, hands bracing against his shoulders. His lips pressed against hers, she found herself drawing him in by his shirt collar. Calloused hands pulled her close, hoisting her body on top of his. Kane ran his paws up and down her sides before gaining firm hold of the back of her neck, wrapping a hand around it to keep her in place. Freyja was all too happy to stay. A tongue darted into his mouth to explore, and he allowed it, pushing back a bit with his own tongue. Impossibly large fingers began to slip further down the young woman's body, slipping between skin and clothing, finding her sex, not quite ready for him. Kane was determined to have his wife, and snuck a finger between her folds. She broke the kiss to sink into him as he rubbed at her swollen little nub, teasing his beautiful young woman into submission. All she could do was lie, unable to move. letting Kane move his fingers however he saw fit. Finally wet enough, he slipped one, then two fingers into her entrance, relishing the surprised gasp Freyja tried so very hard to subdue. Kane smirked confidently at her responsiveness and after a minute or so ordered,

"Sit up."

She did so without question, waiting, almost begging for her husband's instruction. Kane withdrew his fingers, earning no small protest from Freyja.

"Hush." He ordered. The young woman wriggled on the growing bulge in Kane's underwear. Her hands lay flat of his chiseled abdomen to steady herself, grinding her body on his groin and watching her husband shudder beneath her. His fingers hooked into the waistline of her pants. "I want these gone."

"Just the jeans?" Freyja teased, Kane sat straight up, his hand still on her neck and clearly demanded,

" _All of it."_

He let Freyja roll off him, removing his left over clothing, and and sat straight up to watch Freyja strip slowly, checking over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure Kane was still watching her. Her eyes half-lidded, she finally slid her last few articles of clothing off, torturing him. He didn't leave her time to crawl over to him. His hands grabbing whatever they could, he drug her back to straddle his lap, he was done wasting time.

He interlaced his fingers with thick brown locks and he pulled her face to his. Soft, small hands flexed and curled on his toned chest, before one came up to brush across his jaw. His heavy hand that lay on her thigh crept up, a thumb searching, finding, and rubbing up against her exposed womanhood.

 _His._

Freyja gasped into his mouth, raising up farther from her knees to give his better access to continue his ministrations, moving her chest into his face for him to claim. Kane ran his tongue across his wife's heaving bosom, stopping every once in a while to bite down, hard, to leave a mark to remind Freyja who she belonged to. She rutted against his thumb, each grind more desperate than the last, each second getting more aggressive. She was on the edge, he could tell, she was ready to cum for him.

"No." He withdrew his hand before Freyja could finish, leaving her to groan in frustration. Kane's hand closed around her groaning throat. Not hard, but enough to remind her who was in control. "Shut up!" he growled at her.

Freyja gulped in his palm, mouth agape. But she stayed silent. His free hand gripped his member holding it upright and using his control of her to poise her entrance at the head of his cock. "Are you ready for me?" he asked coolly.

Freyja nodded. "Yes." she choked out, trying to lower herself onto her husband, but he only squeezed a little harder, keeping her in place.

"You want my cock?" He teased, moving himself around, circling just outside her entrance, barely brushing her clit, his cock head getting soaked with how wet his wife was for him. He felt a swell of pride that he could turn this young woman into a mess in a matter of minutes.

She whimpered, squirmed, but nothing would give her relief until her husband saw it fit to let her go.

"Answer me." Kane snapped, his grip tightened, her throat closed up.

"Yes, Kane." She admitted.

"Yes Kane, what?" he pressed, determined to make her beg for him.

"Kane, please, I need you." Freyja forced herself to say it. It was humiliating, but she couldn't handle it, the need. "Please, I want to ride your cock, let me. I want your cock."

Her husband chuckled at her, pulling her close, replacing his thumb to tease her just a bit more. He laughed out loud at his wife's compromising position, powerless to do anything but beg for him.

"Good girl," he chuckled before letting go of her. Freyja wasted no time lowering herself onto her husband, stretching to accommodate him, gasping at the feeling of him finally inside her. Kane shuddered, fully sheathed in his wife and began to move with her, while Freyja bounced up and down on him.

She was getting close again, Kane could tell, and just as her belly tightened in that tell-tale way he'd become familiar with, he flipped her over quickly, pulling out. Freyja groaned in frustration again, and instead of admonishing her, Kane just gave a triumphant laugh. Before she had a chance to protest he'd shoved his tongue down her throat, feeling her melt underneath him once more.

He thought that to have her be like putty in his hands was the only heaven he ever wanted to go to. Sinking his teeth into her throat, he marked a trail down her body, settling between her legs. His head dipped down, tasting what mess he'd made of Freyja, torturing her, keeping her on the edge.

"Oh, my god, Kane!"

He liked when she moaned his name like that. She was ready again, so he sat up, withdrawing all contact.

"Kane!" She snapped playfully at him, starting to get irritated.

"Oh, sorry, did you want to cum?" He teased mercilessly, sliding into her again slowly, before his hips snapped the rest of the way in. Freyja arched her back as high as she could, hands bracing on his shoulders.

"Yes." she panted.

"Freyja," He warned, a soft reminder that she needed to use her manners.

"Yes, please Kane." Freyja gasped as he thrust into her again. "Please let me cum for you."

Her husband finally relented. He hummed in acknowledgement and grabbed firm hold of her wrists, pinning them to the side. His pace sped up, growing faster, finally giving Freyja what she needed from him. He pound into her, deep as he could go, until with one final gasp Freyja contracted around him, and he knew then to wrap that hand around her throat once more, squeezing tight the way she liked as she came for him, and he followed not long after. He settled himself down on her, sweaty and panting.

Kane lay his head to the side, on her chest, listening to his wife's heartbeat slow underneath him. Neither of them said anything for the rest of the evening. He simply, eventually rolled off of her, and pulled her relatively tiny body to him, holding her close where no brothers or ex-wives or their lovers could dream of hurting her. Not his wife. They couldn't have her. They never would.

He'd figure out how to tell her to back off before next week.


	17. Wound

"I don't think you should do it." Kane blurted out on the relatively quiet drive to Seattle.

Freyja's gaze shot over to Kane in surprise, brow furrowed. "What?"

"I want you to stop." Kane pressed, looking out on the interstate. "Bow out."

"Kane, I'm not going to just up and quit out of nowhere. If I can just hang on a little while longer, I'm sure-"

"No, Freyja!" he snapped, interrupting her, the boom of his voice reverberated through the SUV, startling his wife a bit a bit.

"Why do you even care, Kane? It's not like you even want me around as anything other than a receptacle for your seed." Freyja bit.

The Monster recoiled, his hurt turning bery quickly to anger.

"I'm a freak and a monster for a lot of reasons, Freyja." he growled and looked out the window on his side. He'd seen more every day what this revenge quest had done to her. She was consumed by it, as he was always consumed with rage. But he was used to it. She wasn't as strong as him, she was different, better, he told himself. She'd had a normal childhood in the countryside with goats and chickens and a family that loved her, she hadn't lived in pain as he had. She couldn't handle it. "I _refuse_ to be labeled a freak for not wanting my own wife to destroy herself. _Look_ at you."

She'd barely slept this week, she hadn't eaten. All she did was train and stew in righteous fury. This match was taking her from him. The only woman that ever made an _effort_ , and she was wasting away.

He didn't want to say it. Admit he cared what happened to her, admit that he...

"Freyja. I-"

"KANE!" She yelled.

The first thing he did was slam on the brakes, thinking some sort of animal had run into the road and that was why she was yelling at him so. He saw nothing.

The second thing he did was look over at Freyja, her eyes wide with horror. More horror than when she'd looked up at him in that ring the day she found out what her prize was. More horror than their wedding day. More than anytime he'd lost his temper with her.

The car was silent, the air stagnant, heavy. Freyja's mouth was dry when she whispered, silently but forcefully, "Don't."

Kane growled again, voice raised, "Why the fuck not?!"

"Because this can't be over until my match tomorrow, and I don't know how much longer I can do this if we're just going to end up happy together." Freyja spit the last words out like a bad taste in her mouth.

"Fuck! Freyja, what do you want? Do you want to be miserable? Because you and I both know that _I can arrange that_." He threatened.

 ** _If she doesn't want to love you, she will fear you._**

"I just need to be able to do this, and I know that if I let you say, what you're about to say..." Freyja ran her hands through her hair. "God, you're gonna make everything so _fucking complicated_."

Tires screeched on the highway pavement as Kane jerked the wheel to the shoulder and slammed on the brakes. The car was dead silent save for the soft _click, click, click_ of the emergency flashers.

"Get out." Kane deadpanned.

Freyja looked out the window, it was dark, cold, there weren't any lights on this part of the highway, and only God knew how far away from Seattle they were. Freyja felt a twinge of fear at the thought of having to walk down the highway alone at night.

"Kane, please don't-"

"Out!" Kane barked.

"You can't just kick me out of the car, Kane!" Freyja yelled back, as Kane's arm reached across the passengers seat and opened the door for her. Cool air flooded the cabin, but Freyja stayed put. Kane shoved his hand between her and the center console and unbuckled her seat belt.

"NOW, FREYJA!" Her safety be damned, he was too pissed to even see straight.

"Fuck you, Kane!" Freyja undid the rest of her seatbelt, hopping out of the car into the chilly late night air. Kane reached in the back, grabbing her coat and throwing it unceremoniously at her before she slammed the door. Rubber squealed on pavement as she watched her husband speed off in the car through the tears welling up in her eyes. She dug in all her pockets, turning up nothing.

"Fuck!" She yelled to no one in particular as the occasional car buzzed past in the darkness. She'd left her phone in Kane's rental. Fixing her coat and zipping it up, she huffed a sigh in her anger.

There was nothing to do but start walking.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Kane pulled into the hotel parking lot, finally somewhere where he could gather his thoughts, not ready to go inside. He sat in the drivers seat of the Escalade just staring out the window stewing in his anger. The longer he sat, the more irritated he got, the hotter his ears grew, he could feel the blood rushing to his head. It all was too much, and he found his hands had began to beat on the steering wheel until...

 _Rrrrriiinnng! Rrrrrriiinnnnggg!_

That wasn't his ringtone. He reached over to the passenger side door and rummaged through the compartment, retrieving Freyja's little black flip phone. He flipped it open just to stop the ringing and held it up to his ear.

"What?!" He snapped.

" _Hey, I-"_ Andone's familiar voice was cut off as he realized it wasn't his niece that had answered the phone. _"Kane?"_

Kane said only, "Yeah." then sniffed and cleared his throat which had gone dry from his yelling. He flexed his fingers, palms of his hands had begun to get sore already.

 _"Can I talk to Freyja, please?"_

"No."

Andone huffed, Kane could tell the older man was starting to get irritated. The other end was silent for a while. _"Why not? Where is she?"_

"I don't know, somewhere off Interstate 5." Kane excused lamely.

" _WHAT?"_

"Bye." The Devils favorite Demon hung up the cell before he even got the opportunity for a tongue-lashing from his uncle in law, leaving Andone to scramble for his own rental keys, storming out the door of his suite.

"Oh! Hey, Andy, I wanted to talk to you about-" A cute, blonde young woman pranced down the hallway toward her friend's manager.

"No time!" he interrupted. "Kane left Freyja somewhere on the interstate now you either come with me to help me look for her or whatever you need can wait."

He said all this as he speed-walked down the maroon carpet, cream-colored walls whirring past, letting Trish jog after him.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Freyja didn't get it. She probably never would. At least he could say he'd tried now. He couldn't go into that hotel, he couldn't face the empty room that awaited him, so he instead holed himself up in some tiny dive bar.

Kane lifted the last of his drink to his lips, 'Bad to the Bone' blaring out of the jukebox for the fifth time because some dumb-ass 21 year old boys thought it would be funny to annoy the shit out of everyone in the bar. Draining what little was left in the glass, he all but slammed it back down on the table. He'd heard the glass crack, and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it had broken, but all the liquor in the world couldn't have prepared him to look down and see blood literally gushing out of his palm. Kane just sat there and stared at his palm, for the longest time, unsure what to do in his half-drunken stupor. The only thing that snapped him out of it, the withered voice of the short, grey haired bartender exclaiming,

"Oh! Honey, your hand!" she gasped, taking the behemoths bleeding hand in hers and using a free hand to open the hatch and stand at the customers side of the bar. "Dana, I'm gonna take this big fella in the back, will you cover for a second?"

Kane heard the other bartender say something to the effect of 'Yeah, sure, whatever.' and he was led by a surprisingly strong grandma to a small restroom in the back of the bar.

This wasn't a customers restroom. Only one room, there was a tiny placard below the mirror that read EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS,and only one toilet with a small sink in the corner. The little old woman dragged a steel stool over to the overflow drain in the center of the floor and instructed him to sit.

"Hold that hand over the drain and stay put." she ordered.

Kane hated being told what to do, but something about the woman's tone made him stay put. She seemed like the kind of person who'd hunt him down and drag him back to the stool by his ear-assuming she could reach that high- if she could. And if he was to be truthful, he didn't feel like bothering with it.

She came back soon enough, toting a big-ass First Aid kit and a folding chair. Setting up in front of him, she dutifully set the kit on her lap and opened it up, pulling out a canister of rubbing alcohol. Finding it empty, she muttered, 'Shit' and left once more.

The woman came back yet again, holding an unopened bottle of vodka, uncapped it and looked up at a slightly intoxicated Demon. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch."

Kane already knew that. He'd had his share of wounds, broken bones, and lacerations in his day, and he'd only started getting professional medical attention recently, instead of the basement of someone Paul "knew" that had their medical license revoked for malpractice. Even now that he saw a real doctor it was a struggle to get him to go. He slurred, "Okay."

The elderly woman's shaking hand poured the clear liquid on his open wound and Kane hissed loudly at the pain, holding his hand out flat and still until the stinging died down. He was handed a wad of cotton gauze.

"Hold that till the bleeding stops." he was instructed by the lady, who's nametag read MARIA.

Kane nodded silently, feeling himself getting stared down by Maria. He hummed, "Hm?"

"What's got you so on edge you feel the need to break my glasses, hos?" She pressed, and Kane shook his head.

"Nothing. Fucking Bad to the Bone playing eighteen fucking times." He grumbled, pressing painfully down on the new gash on his hand.

The Bartender laughed. "Oh, Bad to the Bone's a great song! Something else is going on. I can tell."

"What's got you so sure?" Kane quipped.

"Woman's intuition." she shrugged. "And the fact you've been staring at that wedding ring most of the night. Who's the lucky lady?"

"Girl named Freyja." he felt the words spilling out of his mouth. He had wanted to tell her it was none of her god damned business, but the alcohol hadn't quite made that work out. Too many words.

"I knew I recognized you! You're that wrestler, Kane, right?" The woman clasped him on the shoulder and went on. "Man, was all of that stuff real?"

Kane shrugged abysmally. "Real as it can possibly get."

"Wow. How can you possibly make that work?"

Kane shook his head, clamping down on the gauze and rubbing his face in his un-bloodied hand. "It isn't."

Maria nodded her head slowly, making a sympathetic 'hm' in her throat. "And that's why you're here drinking your sorrows away and gazing at your ring like a sad puppy?"

Kane snorted indignantly. "I don't look like a sad puppy."

"Sure." Maria mused, sounding unconvinced. She opened his hand a bit, inspecting the wound closely, grabbing a fresh piece of gauze and started wrapping his large, meaty hand.

"She keeps... running from me. Not physically just..." he trailed off while Maria took her time patching him up.

"She cheatin'?"

"No, but she's damn near killed herself. Gets pissed when I tell her I don't want her killing herself." Jesus he's had more than he thought. Who the fuck was this lady and why did he think it was time to air out the dirty laundry? Perhaps he'd stopped caring, maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was the culmination of everything.

Maria hummed. "Can I give you some advice?"

"No."

The old woman laughed. "Well, I stopped you from bleeding to death so too bad, humor me."

Kane glared at her, and she only smiled back without fear. "Girls her age, women like her, they think they can handle it all on their own. No offense hun, but you aren't the most approachable of people. You want her to stay honest, try using a little compassion."

Kane scoffed, watching Maria skillfully finished wrapping his injured hand. "I don't _do_ compassion."

"I know you don't, sugar." she placated, packing her kit back up.

Kane didn't respond, but let Maria pipe up again, "Now, you're free to go, but I don't suggest getting another glass of Glenlivet, it's almost last call anyway. Go back from wherever you came, you've lost a lot of blood."

Maria left rather abruptly, leaving Kane to sit alone on the stool on the bathroom floor. He left as well after a moment, paid his tab, and strode out into the cool evening outside.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The chill of Seattle night air bit Freyja to the bone. She adjusted her coat, nestling a little deeper in its waning warmth, hot tears stinging her eyes. Just a few more miles and she'd be at the Extended Stay, she'd be at Andone's hotel. All she had to do was keep walking, and try not to think about Kane.

She'd made a mistake, she told herself, letting herself get this close to Kane. She should be happy she'd pissed him off, gotten herself kicked to the curb, now she could focus on her match. All he would do was worry for her, try to protect her and mess everything up. They couldn't be happy.

 _Not yet._

But even as she told herself all this his absence lingered

It consumed her and left a hole where he should be. He, his very essence, had taken up real estate in her that she was currently trying desperately to fill with empty words and half truths. She didn't need him, she didn't need him, she didn't need him.

A lone car on the highway screeched almost to a halt, the window rolled down and it's driver yelled over the roar of horns honking and the whirring of the cars driving past, "Freyja?!"

She looked over to the drivers side. That damn Canadian.

"What the _fuck_ Freyja?" he yelled from afar.

"Leave me alone, Edge!" She warned, but he hated listening and he hated being told what to do.

"No, get in the car." His demands fell on deaf ears.

"I'm not getting in the car with you."

"Fine!" Edge yelled back, turning on his hazard lights and rolling achingly slowly down the highway, drawing ire from more of his fellow drivers. Freyja kept walking trying to ignore him, but after about the third bus honking angrily by, she turned again.

"What the fuck are you _doing_?" She yelled at him.

"It's dangerous out here." He called back, "So, you're either getting in the damn car or I'm just gonna drive right next to you until you get where you're going." Freyja was stubborn, but Edge was worse.

"Whatever! Just go!" Freyja didn't even want him here. He could go back to his happy-ever-after romance and stick it where the sun didn't shine for all Freyja cared. But he wasn't moving and eventually she screamed. "FINE."

She stumbled into Edges car and slammed the door way too hard, looking away from the man's scrutiny. Her cheeks had turned red in the cold, her mascara ran down her face, eyes bloodshot. She'd obviously been crying, and he wondered what had happened for Kane to kick her out of the car on the interstate. Maybe he'd done it just for the fun of it.

Freyja gazed out at the dark night, having immediately regretted entering the vehicle with the enemy. Edge didn't care, he locked the door to keep her from trying to escape. "Where are you going?"

"Extended Stay." She almost whispered.

" _Really_? You're going _back_ to him?" Edge couldn't believe it. The second time in as many weeks he'd found her alone, upset, after having been completely at Kane's mercy. Edge felt something deep within... guilt?

"It's Andy's hotel." Freyja relented demurely.

The remainder of the car ride was silent. Edge didn't what had happened, and Freyja never offered an explanation. Eventually, Freyja drifted off, unable to control the fatigue any longer. Pulling into the Extended Stay, Edge shook her awake.

"We're here." He told her, and she unbuckled her seatbelt fast and made to walk briskly into the hotel. Before she shut the door Edge called out again, "Freyja?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not gonna tell Lita."

The young woman was silent, staring at him for a few moments before giving him a tight-lipped smile and muttering, "Thanks."

When Andy and Trish finally returned from their search, coming up empty handed, the older man was having a conniption.

That is, until, they found a lone, very tired looking Freyja slumped at the door of Andone's room, smiling up at them she said, "Hey, guys."


	18. End of the Line

The crowd buzzed with anticipation, as did the competitors waiting. A Redheaded woman bounced on her heels, fists and jaw clenching, awaiting the flashing lights and screaming of the crowd. She'd gotten herself out of this mess, and she sure as hell could get herself out. She cracked her neck, barely noticing her boyfriend squeezing at the tense muscles of her shoulders. She was ready.

The other woman stood at the door of the gorilla. Short and small and dark, she stared holes in the concrete wall and steel door before her. Her manager loitered behind her, ready to watch her dominate. Her husband came to her from down the hallway. He was huge, and three months before now the young woman had never _seen_ anyone that big before. She marveled at his presence, but not because of his size.

"I didn't think you'd come." Freyja remarked. Kane had nothing to say but a gruff,

"Hm."

He'd slept in the car last night, electing not to drive and simply pass out in the driver's seat, however uncomfortable that was.

She didn't dare ask about the bandage on his palm, although she wondered. He was hurt she didn't, though he would never have told her.

The announcers brought out Lita first, and the screaming vocals of her entrance could be heard even through the walls and doors between the couple and the arena audience. A stage hand poked a meek head out the door crack, motioning for Kane and Freyja to step through. They waited and waited until Freyja's adversary had settled into the center ring. They waited until her opening riffs hit, and Freyja and her monster husband put on their faces, strolling out to the arena. The anger on their facades was real, but it wasn't even directed at Edge and Lita anymore. It was themselves they hated. But that was no matter. Freyja ascended the stairs to the ring and she suddenly felt clean.

Her wrath finally had it's target.

She hardly noticed when the bell rang, she didn't flinch when Lita circled her, determined to win and win fast. The redhead opened with a few hooks, the last of which had been blocked by Freyja, returning some elbows and a swift knee to the stomach. As Lita doubled over, the younger woman circled her, emerald eyes stabbing daggers right into their target. Lita gasped for breath. Freyja hit hard, and that shit _hurt._

"You know what you've done yet?" Freyja cried to the heavens, "Do you see?"

Lita shook her head, banishing the pain and anguish and guilt that bred in the gut. She didn't need this. Freyja had no idea what she'd endured. Forced to marry, forced to carry a child she didn't want, from a man she never loved. She didn't understand.

In this internal monologue, Lita found a striking truth. Freyja did understand. She knew what it meant to be held up for ransom, forced into a loveless marriage. Lita's eyes found Kane, and she saw how he watched only Freyja with a mixture of pride and worry. She saw then that Freyja at least didn't know what it meant to not be loved.

"I did what I had to!" Lita spit her calling card out, making sure she'd done everything to convince Freyja she hadn't been given another choice. Lita lunged for Freyja, a hard push finding its mark, launching Freyja to the ropes. The veteran steeled herself for the clothesline she'd just set up. Freyja took the ropes in stride, bouncing off them to run towards Lita, ducking beneath the redhead's forearm and bouncing off the adjacent ropes to deliver a forearm strike of her own, launching Lita to the ground.

"Bullshit!" Freyja screamed at the mat. "You saw me, Lita."

Freyja picked her enemy up by her straightened hair, forcing her to look her in the eye. She went on, "You saw me. Young, foreign, impressionable, and in me you saw a _target_. You _never_ saw a person. You saw someone to be _used_. You saw an offering to be given to Kane but guess what? Karma has now come for you."

Lita grabbed a firm hold of Freyja's arm that held her, using it to brace herself. "You know what, Freyja? _Fuck you."_

Lita's free fist collided with the younger woman;s cheekbone, causing her to stumble backwards into the corner turnbuckle, holding the side of her face. Lita went in for the kill, running to the opposite turnbuckle to run into young Freyja, but the Basque stuck her foot out, letting Lita's face run right into it. She saw an opportunity there, going for the ground-and-pound before being thrown off.

It went on like this, strike after strike, blow after blow, the two women wailed on each other to the chagrin of their men. An elbow here, and armbar there, Freyja even managed to land a flying triangle before being slammed to the ground by Lita, who had even more recently landed a nice hurricanrana on the newbie. Several kickouts, and God knew how many blows. After a particularly long exchange the two women crouched in their respective corners, staring each other down.

"Freyja, that's enough. Stop." Kane pleaded with his wife. He'd never begged for anything in his life, what was happening to him?

The brunette shook her head, heaving herself up, ready to fight. Lita still crouched in the corner, every bit as bruised and bloody as Freyja, who was motioning for her now. Lita tore herself from Edge's pleading grasp, meeting Freyja in the ring. The two continued the beating, and finally dropped to their knees, even then weak shots shown at each other's waiting faces. Both women had resigned themselves to the blows they knew were coming until finally the 15 minute match came to a halt.

The audience watched on in stunned silence as Lita, sick from exhaustion, was the first to pass out. Her limp body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Freyja wasn't long after, her body falling forward onto her enemies. It was a wonder Lita was first, with the way Freyja had been treating her body, but spite was a powerful drug. The ref began the count. Freyja's limp body had, in fact, collapsed atop Lita's limp body,

1...

No indication of movement.

2...

The women were still as corpses.

3...

The match was called. Freyja Kutlass had finally won her revenge. Medical staff rushed to the aid of the two, dragging the unconscious girls to the medical room.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Lita and Freyja mutually winced as medical staff checked each of them out meticulously. The two women really did a number on each other, and stress fractures and cracked ribs were of particular concern. The steam had been blown off, the need for retribution finally settled, and as the two women were poked and prodded, bruised and broken and bloody, they conversed.

"We've had a pretty rough go of it, haven't we, Freyja?" Lita groaned above the medical chatter.

Freyja hissed at the pain of yet another attendant pressing down on her ribcage on the other side of the curtain that had been drawn between them. "Yeah."

There was a pause, the only sounds were shuffling, beeping, and the instructions of the med staff before Freyja piped up again,

"Sorry I went so crazy."

Lita laughed as loudly as she could in her pain. "I don't blame you."

Freyja laughed back bitterly. She was too tired to do anything else. She couldn't even hardly think about the mess she'd gotten into with Kane, or what would happen. She was in too much pain, too exhausted to care. Another moment of silence passed before Lita called from the opposite side of the curtain separating them, groaning as the nurse put pressure on her arm before bandaging it. "Freyja?"

"Yeah?"

Lita fidgeted with her hands, not totally sure she wanted to ask this question, she didn't know if she wanted the answer. It was something she'd wondered from Day 1 of all this turmoil, something she'd let eat her alive. "Does he hurt you?"

Freyja was dead silent for an alarmingly long time before saying, "Never. Why, did he hurt _you?"_

It was a fair question for all she'd done to leave him. "Not physically." was her reply. "Does he treat you well?"

Freyja heaved an audible sigh. " I don't really _know._ "

Lita couldn't argue with that logic. Kane was enigmatic at best, and although he could be wicked and vile, he had his moments. The curtain was finally pulled aside, and they were free to go, but neither made a move to get off the gurney, electing instead to sit up and face each other.

Freyja finally saw Lita in her true light, a scared woman in desperation, taking a leap of faith to improve her life. Lita finally saw Freyja, a previously naive young woman, wanting to make her mark, angry when that process ended in trickery and deception, and finally each understood the other. They'd made each other villains, and now they no longer saw a villain, just another woman. Freyja had to ruin it-

"You know just because I don't hate you anymore doesn't mean I'm your fucking friend, right?" Freyja bit as Lita looked at her, a bit confused. " Don;t come to me for help unless someone is bleeding or dying." Freyja stood her ground.

Lita could only laugh. " I understand.

Just as Freyja redied herself to ask what exactly the fuck Lita was laughing about, Edge poked his head through the swinging wood door. Kane, of all people, stood behind him.

"Girls?" Edge interrupted. "Are you cleared? Because Vince and Bischoff want to see us... _all of us."_

 _ **GUYS Thank you so much for reading. We are so very, very close to the end and I am beyond excited!**_


	19. Aftershock

The four of them strode, dead silent, to the meeting room. The only sound was that of footsteps and breathing. They passed by a few other Superstars, and no one dared say a word. In the hall, Hurricane had stopped to chat with Trish, who'd long ago gotten over her embarrassment to be seen with him, but the two parted ways as they saw the feuding couples haul ass down the corridor.

Kane moved with little urgency behind Freyja. He hadn't said a word to her, hadn't glanced in her direction. Not even a rough, firm hand guiding her about like he always seemed to enjoy doing so much. Freyja knew she'd fucked up, she could feel heat radiate from her husband. It wasn't a soft or comforting warmth, but _heat_ , angry, and hard. She'd do anything, anything at all just to have him _look_ at her again.

The moment of truth had come, far sooner than wanted or expected. Within a small conference room, around a wooden oval table not unlike where this all started, sat Eric Bischoff, Andone Katixa, and Vince McMahon himself. All eyes were on the two women, looking a bit worse for the wear but very, very much alive.

The two couples took seats on opposite sides of the table, each staring the other down. Vince finally broke the silence,

"Are you done now?"

There was no question who he was addressing. Freyja's green eyes flicked to Vince, then back to Lita, who couldn't bring herself to look up from the wood grain. The young Basque said nothing.

"This brought ratings, yes, but..." Eric rubbed at the bridge of his nose wearily. "We can't have you killing each other an more "

Lita nodded slowly, drawing agreement from Edge, and Freyja pursed her lips, the slightest of motions from her nodding head. Kane didn't move, and said nothing, his mind was elsewhere, his thoughts preoccupied by one stupid, hard, difficult young woman.

"Now, Freyja," Vince piped up, sliding a small stack of papers her direction, leaving another stack before him. "We've met with Andone here, and I think we've reached a compromise."

Freyja drug the papers over to her, on the header she read:

 _ **Smackdown**_

 _ **Application and Contract for Employment**_

 _ **WWE, INC.**_

"We are willing to move you to Smackdown. This will get you away from Lita, and lessen the animosity on RAW. Now that the fued is settled and you got what you wanted, the audience needs to get over it, too." Vince went on to Freyja who was barely listening. "That's the best solution we came up with. There's a clause in there that will hire you to Smackdown, annul your marriage to Kane, and set you free from RAW. If you promise not to harass Lita or Edge any longer."

Freyja thumbed through the pages, whilst Kane tried to his his fury. His face reddened, fists clenched. He was pissed at Freyja, but he wasn't done with her. He'd make her love him if he had to, but first he couldn't let her sign that contract. How dare they try to rob him of his property?

 _ **They're gonna take her away from you.**_

Before Kane could react, Freyja pushed the contract away. "No."

The table shifted all eyes to the young brunette, who looked around nervously at the surprised faces. "No I- I think I'm done."

"You don't have to quit, Freyja, just sign the papers and-"

"No." She interrupted Bischoff. "I've been decieved, given away like a broodmare, forced to marry, forced by circumstance to take revenge. I've stolen shit, broken shit, broken people... I'm done. You people are fucking _crazy_." Freyja directed at Lita mostly. "And this place makes me crazy. I think I'm done."

Mr. McMahon nodded pensively, gazing down at the other stack of papers. "I thought you might say that."

The Smackdown contract was replaced by a new, different stack of paper. Freyja saw on the letterhead:

 **Self-Elected Termination of Employment**

"You can leave, if you want." He said.

Freyja grabbed the contract, pulling it over to get a better look. Learning her lesson from months ago, she read through the clauses. The usual, agreement to leave the company, cessation of performances, where to forward her final check to and...

"Can I amend this?" She turned to Vince expectantly. Pointing out the final clause of the contract.

"Cross it out and well take care of it." He nodded.

Freyja grabbed one of the pens. Unclicking it, and with surety that it was what she wanted, she confidently crossed out the words of the paragraph that ended the contract-

 _"... annulment of her marriage to her husband, hereafter referred to as, 'Kane'..."_

\- she scribbled her signature quickly, closing the document and pushing it towards the boss. She slid her chair back, standing and briskly retreating from the room. The door shut behind her with a soft _click_.

"Freyja!" Her uncle yelled after her, making to pursue.

"Andy..." Kane snapped, eyes flickering to Andone's chair as the older man got the hint, lowering himself softly back into the office chair he once sat in. Kane himself left the room, leaving whatever conversation was to be had between the bosses and Lita to them and them alone. As he plodded out, he saw his wife, seated on a bench with her head in her hands. He approached her slowly, unsure what she was doing. She'd crossed out the paragraph divorcing them, _crossed it out completely_. She must be _crazy_.

The young woman looked over at Kane, who stood before her, towering over her smaller frame.

"I owe you an apology." Her voice shook, and the confession intrigued the monster, but he still didn't feel sorry for her, or the situation she'd found herself in. He turned, taking a seat beside her as she went on. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did yesterday. I... I wanted to hold on to that anger. I thought it would help me."

Kane sniffed and leaned back on the bench, his weight causing it to creak.

"It didn't." She concluded. "It only caused pain. It hurt me. And... it hurt you, I think. It made me afraid. I know you aren't... like everyone else, and I don't know what it means to be wanted by you. To be loved by someone like you. By someone who was forced on me, and to- to feel the same way about them." Freyja finally admitted. Kane hid his surprise, but leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, paying closer attention to her words. "That idea scares the _shit_ out of me, Kane. I'm sorry for acting that way I did last night, but I really am terrified. I don't know _how_ to love you."

She finally turned her body to look at his face, blank, near expressionless, she couldn't get a read on him. Facing him she said, "But I want to find out."

Kane was very, very quiet, for a very long time. Freyja was left to wonder if he was preparing to tell her to go fuck herself, that she'd fucked up, that he didn't want her any more. Instead, his fists clenched on the edge of the bench, knuckles turning bright white. He muttered to himself, barely audible,

"Mine."

"What?"

He wasn't listening to her, he was too busy thinking. Even after all this, after he'd kicked her out into the dark interstate highway, she was still here? Wanting him? Needing him? She was given the option for freedom from him, and she flat out denied it. No one had ever chosen him before. She was his.

He repeated himself, this time it was an almost lupine snarl, _"Mine."_

"Kane?" Freyja was starting to worry, she saw every muscle in his body was tensed, like a snake ready to strike. Before she had a chance to do anything else, Kane had wrapped an arm around her, hid large free hand pulling at her hip, pulling her ever closer to him, tightly as if she might disappear from his bone-crushing grip. She winced slightly in pain, but he didn't seem to notice. She tentatively let her hands rest on his shoulders, and he hummed at the tough, pulling in even tighter and letting his head rest in the crook of her neck. He couldn't get any closer to her but damn, did he try. He felt wanted, for the first time in a long time, truly wanted. He wanted to absorb her, consume her, become one person with her, but this was as close as he could get to that. The hand that held her by the wast moved to stroke languidly up her back. She whimpered slightly as it passed over the sprains and bruises, but let him do whatever it was he seemed to need. His hand moved around to her side again, through her arms to her face, hovering there so very, very close to her but never actually touching her cheek. He drew back to look at her, gauging her reaction.

"Mine" He whispered again, for the last time. This time it sounded almost like a question, a hope, a silent prayer she might affirm. He said it like she didn't believe she was real, just a figment of his imagination.

Freyja realized what he meant. She was his, and she knew this. She didn't know why she'd chosen him, but she knew that she just had. She'd denied herself the ability to just walk away from him. She may regret it later, she was almost certain, but something about the way Kane was looking at her, beggin her to be his, drove her. They'd struggled and fought and and failed and struggled again. They had been angry, emotional, and awkward as all hell. But she finally felt free to want him, the depth of her need growing less deniable by the day.

She grasped at his wrist, still hovering, and pulled it in so his palm made contact with her cheek, and, looking into those mismatched eyes, assured him with a whisper,

"Yours."

Nothing ever felt more right to her than that very moment. In that moment, the young Basque had found peace, a rare commodity given her lot in life. Kane never thought he'd hear those words, and there were no better words on earth. Perhaps he'd been dealt better cards than he originally thought.


	20. Epilogue

_Years Later..._

Dr. Shelby had to admit, he had outdone himself this time. He usually threw a small get together at the Community Center for his graduating classes and their families, but with his two favorite problem children miraculously completing their Anger Management programs, he decided to spend the extra time to make this one a bit more intricate. He'd never assumed Kane or Daniel had what it took to find their peace, but he was unbelievably proud of the unlikely pair.

That being said, something was wrong, _very_ wrong, with Kane.

The Devil's Favorite Demon, as he so often called himself, had actually spoken to Dr. Shelby without being spoken to first, which was of course, the first alarming thing he'd done.

He still wasn't smiling, but he also wasn't actively frowning. Sound alarm number two.

To top it all off, the most horrifying of all his actions on this day, he _shook Herald's hand_. DING DING DING. Alarm number three. This was an emergency in dire need of Dr. Shelby's attention. Kane was out of control. He watched as the Monster actually talked to, and interacted with his class mates, eyeing him suspiciously as the giant quelled Daniel's outbursts of, "No!" on more than a few occasions. Could this be possible? Was Kane in a good mood? And who had he killed to be in such a good mood?

Mustering up all his courage, Shelby pulled himself up by his bootstraps and approached the monster, his voice sickeningly sweet. "Kane, can I talk to you for a second?"

This struck Kane as odd, but he turned to Dr. Shelby and uttered. "Sure, doc."

Shelby shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, in private if we could."

Kane took a sip of lemonade out of a little plastic cup, which looked like a child toy in his gigantic hand. The masked man stood his ground. "No."

Shelby shook his head quickly. This was about to get embarrassing. All eyes in the group were on him, the whole community center room was looking at the two men while Dr. Shelby stuttered, "Well, I, uh, not that I'm not _happy_ for you but- you're ah- in an unusually chipper mood, and I've never seen you emote anything other than anger, and neutrality, and I was just wondering..."

Kane held up a hand interrupting the stammering doctor and setting his cup down. He calmly picked up a bite sized cookie from the table next to him.

"My wife is coming." he stated, as if it was the simplest concept in the world. It would have been an easy sentence for the doctor and fellow classmates to accept, and if that sentence had come out of anyone else's mouth, Dr. Shelby might have shrugged it off and said something to the effect of, 'good for you'. But it was Kane who said this. Kane, who grew up in mental institutions and liked to set people on fire. Dr. Shelby laughed nervously as everyone watched, wide-eyed, to see how he would react.

"Your... your wife is coming?" The doctor repeated after Kane, who popped the cookie in his mouth in one bite and bit down, chewing on the little store bought confection. For a moments the only sound in the room was Kane's chewing.

"Yup." he dismissed through a mouthful of cookie and, looking across the room at classmates who gazed at him in disbelief and amusement, swallowed and swept his hands together to get rid of the crumbs. He began to realize that everyone was looking at him in what could only be described as utter shock. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, Kane, that's all I was curious about, never mind them." Shelby sputtered, moving away from the Big Red Machine. Still wrapping his head around the absolute cluster fuck of a conversation he'd just had with his now-former student.

The next ten minutes passed by achingly slow. Kane couldn't count on both hands how many people came up to him to ask him if was _really_ married, or just playing some awful joke on poor Dr. Shelby. Daniel was even starting to get annoyed. Everyone knew they were closer to each other than anyone else in the class, and he even spent most of the next ten minutes reiterating that yes, it was true, Kane's wife herself was going to walk through that door any moment.

No one really seemed to believe them. Most of the class thought they were lying, the rest thought Kane was just a little crazier than originally thought, but were sure Kane _believed_ he was married. But, all that speculation was put to rest when two remarkably tall, near-identical, six year old boys bust through the double doors, making quite a ruckus. One had long, curly dark hair, one was bald, but both shared unusually bright blue eyes. Soon, the boys stopped and turned their attention to Kane, screaming a word one would never expect to come from young children and be directed at someone like Kane,

"Daddy!" the twins ran right at the Demon, and threw their arms round each of his legs. To everyone's surprise, Kane never told the strange kids to get lost, but instead placed a giant hand on the head of each boy, muttering,

"Damien, Ixaka, where's your mother?" The twins looked up at Kane and shrugged, going back to holding the behemoth captive where he stood. Soon enough though, the door was opened wide again by yet another newcomer. She leaned on the handle, looking quite worn out, readjusting the little girl on her hip.

Dr. Shelby's graduating Anger Management Class all looked, mouths agape. No one was quite sure what to expect from Kane's fabled 'wife' but it definitely wasn't this. A small, brunette young woman around her thirties with a nine month old baby girl looked to find Kane and smiled wide. "Hey! I see you found the twins." she breathed, making her way in and suddenly noticing the stares she'd earned, attempting to ignore them.

"Twins found me." Kane corrected.

Before Freyja had a chance to get over to her husband, Daniel flew out of nowhere to throw his arms around Freyja, being mindful of the baby, screeching, "Rey!"

Freyja drew back slightly, laughing at the man, and put her free arm around him. Daniel had only been to Kane's twice, and he'd forced himself inside, but he'd become close with the woman, much to Kane's chagrin. "Hello Daniel." she laughed softly.

Daniel turned now to the baby, who had found some entertainment in toying with Daniel's coarse beard. "I know it's been a few months but I _know_ this big girl can't possibly be Lilith!"

Freyja smiled, amused, and said, "No need for flattery, Daniel. Would you like to hold her?"

Daniel made grabby hands at the baby, who squeaked, laughed, and repeated the action. Freyja handed the baby over and distracted Daniel enough to turn to her husband once more, his tree trunk legs long forgotten by the boys in favor of mobbing Dr. Shelby's son Richard. Freyja drew close, letting one hand come up to Kane's shoulder, which he happily leaned down towards to kiss her a bit more passionately than was really necessary. Breaking apart, Freyja whispered into her husbands lips, "Missed you..."

Kane just hummed, and the moment was quickly interrupted by six year old gagging from across the room at the sight of their parents kissing. Freyja turned on the boys, still in Kane's arms. "Oi! Hush!" she scolded, and the twins giggled, and tried to convince young Richard to play with them, Damien offering up a black hat with a wide, flat brim.

This definitely threw everyone for a loop. They'd all reached the general consensus, with no words needing to be spoken, that Kane was not the type of person that should be good with kids, he was not someone six year old twins called 'dad', and there was absolutely no way he was married to this nice, pretty, normal-looking young woman.

Freyja leaned up to whisper in her husbands ear, a fake smile plastered on her face, "Why is everyone staring at us?"

"I don't think anyone believes you're actually my wife." he explained.

She stepped back from Kane a bit, and gave him that wicked smile of hers. "Guess I'd better go make some friends then."

Dr. Shelby dared approach the couple, smiling widely, but uncomfortably. Before he had a chance to say anything, Freyja recognized him and said in a light accent he couldn't place, "Ah! You must be Doctor Shelby. I've heard... so much about you." Her smile told him she hadn't heard a single good thing about him.

Shelby took her hand tentatively, giving a slightly nervous little laugh. "All good things I hope!" he joked.

Freyja just lifted her eyebrows and smiled, saying, "Sure!" unconvincingly. "I'm Freyja."

"And you are... Kane's wife?" Another man chimed in as Freyja waded into the sea of curious faces. Kane turned back to his little group he'd been talking to. Of course, he was subjected to the same barrage of questions Freyja was currently being subjected to. But, he knew she could handle herself.

"Yes," Freyja stated, a bit confused at the question. "It is true, Kane is my husband."

"Cute boys you have there." One man remarked, a comment laughed off by Freyja.

"Oh, thank you. They're kind of on my shit list right now, though." She joked." Damien is o _bsessed_ with his uncle Mark, so we got him a tiny bolero hat for Christmas. But now they won't stop playing 'Brothers of Destruction', except the only thing that gets destroyed is the cats peace of mind and our home decor."

"Ah, so... when did you meet?"

"2006." Freyja dismissed, unsure of what all these invasive questions were meant to achieve. She shifted uncomfortably as she drew a large, inquisitive crowd. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

"Listen," another woman lowered her voice. "We all know this has to be some prank. How much did he pay you to bring your kids in here and pretend to be his wife?"

Freyja looked up at the woman, straightening her back and tilting her head at her, a flash of irritation crossing her eyes So, _that's_ what this was about? "I _beg_ your pardon?"

The woman faltered, "I-I- I didn't mean to offend you it's just, there's no way, I mean, we look at you, and then we look at him we all-"

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Freyja interrupted her, getting a little closer than she needed to, while Dr. Shelby noticed the altercation about to transpire, and that Kane was merely watching, amused, and doing nothing about it. He bolted over and lay a hand on each woman's shoulder.

"Listen, listen, Freyja, you have to be honest with yourself, you and Kane don't exactly look like the most likely pair." Shelby placated to the angry woman. Perhaps she was Kane's wife after all, with a fuse that short they must have a lot in common.

Freyja backed off just slightly, feeling herself cool off as she crossed her arms and pursed her lips at the other woman.

"Nancy, why don't you and the others tell Freyja why you think she's lying, and Freyja," Dr. Shelby addressed in his best therapist voice. "Do you promise not to get angry if they are honest with you?"

Freyja didn't respond to him, but turned to look at Kane, pointing at Dr. Shelby and laughing lightly. "You were right about this guy!" She remarked before turning back to him and chuckling, "Sure."

The doctor elected to ignore the other comment, and turned toward this woman. Nancy, and motioned for her to go on, to which she nervously stated, "You just... seem _way_ too normal, and Kane seems a lot older than you, it just... doesn't make sense. If you're Kane's wife, all I can possibly ask is... how?"

Freyja nodded slowly, taking in all the greivances. It wasn't anything she'd never heard before. So, taking a deep breath in, she started in on a monologue she'd rehearsed time and time again. "Yes, Kane's 13 years older than me, and-"

Daniel emitted a horrified gasp from across the room as he was handing a crying Lilith over to Kane. "13 years?!"

Freyja shot Daniel an unimpressed look at his interruption. "I love how you're acting like that's the weirdest part about our relationship. Anyway, Kane's ex wife Lita conspired with our boss and her boyfriend at the time to force us to marry each other so she'd have a way out of being married to him." Freyja went on, like it was chicken pox, or a bad breakup, or something that happened to everyone. Kane had made his way over with the baby, who'd abandoned her sobbing in favor of absentmindedly twirling his ringlets in her fingers, babbling nonsense.

"And then Freyja went crazy and set out on a revenge crusade, assaulted various people and ruining Lita and Edge's life." Kane continued, in almost exactly the same tone of voice.

"I didn't go _crazy_!" Freyja protested, fixing the little bow in Lilith's hair.

Kane looked down at his wife, "You beat the shit out of my ex-wife and poured concrete on her things on live television."

Freyja looked at the small audience she'd assembled. "I might have gone a _little_ crazy."

Dr. Shelby tilted his head. "So, wait, all that with AJ was..."

"A work." Kane affirmed. "They do that a lot now. And now that you've met Freyja, you deserve to know that. But if you tell anyone, I will _personally_ beat the hell out of you."

"Did you ever even need to go to Anger Management?" Shelby demanded.

Freyja turned to Kane, and husband and wife shared a look, before turning back to Shelby and replying, in unison, "Yes."

An awkward pause followed, until Kane eventually dared to ask, "So, can I leave yet? Do I have to stay here any longer?"

The doctor shook his head, "No one's forcing you to be here, Kane."

"Great! I'm leaving." Kane used a heavy hand on the small of Freyja's back to guide her away from the circling vultures that were his ex-classmates. "Boys!" He called at the twins, who had found themselves playing tag around the snack table.

Daniel saw no reason to stick around either, following them out.

"Kane?" Freyja gazed up at her husband, eyes half lidded.

"Hm?" He hummed, letting Lilith play with his fingers, not really paying attention to anything else.

"Can we find somewhere to drop the kids off for a few hours?" She asked, her voice dropping half an octave, causing the older man to crane his neck, starting to get the hint.

"Oh! Let me take them!" Daniel piped up from behind them, oblivious to the nuance of their exchange and giving the couple a small shock, neither one having noticed they'd been followed out. "I'll take them to the arcade or something, it'll be great!"

Kane narrowed his eyes at the small man. "What makes you think I'm going to trust you with my children?"

"Come on," Daniel pressed. "Just once? If anything happens, you can just have more?"

Kane rolled his eyes, reluctantly handing over his daughter to Daniel. "You call us if _anything_ happens."

"Boys, you listen to Daniel or he will call me and I will come down there myself, you understand? And Daniel?" Freyja got the attention of the wrestler, "If anything happens to my kids, I will _neuter you_."

Daniel laughed nervously, ushering the young ones away. "Okay..."

As the motley crew turned the corner, Freyja reached out to grab a hold of Kane's hand a knowing smile crossing her lips. "Come on, I know how we can spend our few hours of solitude..."

 **A little bit of fluffyness to close off our time together in Wickerman, featuring UncleFriend!Daniel and Dad!Kane.**

 **Thank you so, so much for reading! It really means a lot to me, and I hope you all enjoyed this fic! I appreciate each and every one of you!**

 **If you're so sad that it's over have no fear! You can always find me on tumblr xwicker-manx, Where I may post more Wickerman Content, as well as other Fics and Requests! Again, Thank you!**


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